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Spirits Do Return 



BY 

IDA BELLE WHITE 



INSPIRED BY 

SAMUEL L. CLEMENS 

("MARK TWAIN") 



THE WHITE PUBLISHING CO., 
3411 East 27th Street, Kansas City, Missouri. 
1915 






y; 



Copyrighted 1 915 



BY 



IDA BELLE WHITE 



Kansas City, Mo • 

****u* Hm>so N Publish^ Co. 

1915 



m -4 19/5 

©CU406991 
Ko tt 



TO HIM 

WHO HAS BEEN MY GUIDE AND INSPIRATION; 

WHOSE EXPERIENCE AND TALENT HAVE 

ENABLED ME TO BE OF ASSISTANCE 

TO THOSE WHO ARE SEEKING 

THE LIGHT, 

"MARK TWAIN/' 

I DEDICATE THIS BOOK. 



CONTENTS. 

Chapter I. 

The Place of Trouble. — The Convict's Story . 9 

Chapter II. 
Prison Life. — Mysterious Influences 25 

Chapter III. 
The Ghost of a Woman 37 

Chapter IV. 
Accused of Murder 50 

Chapter V. 
Official Excitement 57 

Chapter VI. 
Discharged from the Hospital 62 

Chapter VII. 
"My Brother a Convict!" 72 

Chapter VIII. 
The Brother Sentenced to Hard Labor 80 

Chapter IX. 
The Superintendent Tries to Solve the Mys- 
tery 87 

Chapter X. 
Pat Allows the Prisoner to Escape f. 97 

Chapter XL 
The Mystery Deepens 104 



6 Contents— Continued. 

Chapter XII. 
Another Dead Man 119 

Chapter XIII. 
An Attempt to Bribe the Prisoner 129 

Chapter XIV. 
The Convict's Prayer 143 

Chapter XV. 
"Thank God, He Is Innocent!" 152 

Chapter XVI. 
A New Prisoner in Cell No. 78 159 

Chapter XVII. 
Deserted # 170 

Chapter XVIII. 
Pat's Temptation 185 

Chapter XIX. 
A Clear Conscience Better than Money .... 196 

Chapter XX. 
The Murderer Arrives .215 

Chapter XXI. 
Remorse 223 

Chapter XXII. 
Pat's Testimony 234 

Chapter XXIII. 
Prayer-Meeting in Prison 244 



INTRODUCTION. 

This book was written through the inspira- 
tional spirit of the well-known writer, Samuel 
L. Clemens — "Mark Twain." As I have never 
before written a book, the reader will see that 
I have had help from an unseen force — from 
the Spirit World. 

I was told through a trumpet seance meet- 
ing, in the spirit voice of "Mark Twain," to 
get the materials and he would write me a 
book — or, rather, that he would inspire me and 
I could write it, but he would give me the 
words to write, which he has done. 

I was not in an unconscious condition. I 
can turn from my writing and converse as if 
I had not been at work through the power of 
my guide. I can give abundance of proof of 
this statement, also for the statement made in 
the seance meeting by the spirit from Heaven. 

"Mark Twain" has given me encouragement 
from time to time in regard to my book, and 
he has promised to write many more for me. 

Ida Belle White. 
(Mrs. J. L. White.) 



SPIRITS DO RETURN 



CHAPTER I. 



The Place of Trouble. — The 
Convict's Story. 

I passed by the house and within I heard 
a noise. I stopped and listened, and I heard 
screams. The voice sounded like that of a lady 
whom I once knew. I was puzzled to know 
what to do, but finally decided to enter. To 
my surprise, I did know the lady. I apologized 
for intruding, saying that I was attracted by 
the terrible screams and thought I recognized 
the voice. 

The lady replied: "You are very kind, but 
I think I shall be able to settle my trouble 
without your help." 

"I am very sorry, dear madam; I meant 
well," I said. 

I took my departure, yet I felt that I should 
not have done so under the circumstances, for 
I knew that the talk the dear lady made was 
through fear, as the master over her was stand- 
ing near. 

9 



io SPIRITS DO RETURN. 

I was greatly depressed, because of the way 
in which I had left the place of trouble. I had 
gone only a short distance when I decided to 
return. I did so, and, to my surprise, I found 
the dear lady dead, as it is called. 

I was horrified. The brute had fled. What 
was I to do? Go also and leave the poor dead 
woman? I decided to do so. When at some 
distance from the scene, I was hailed and con- 
fronted by the real murderer and an officer, 
who accused me of the terrible crime. 

What could I dp? I knew that I was not 
guilty, but I failed to make the officer believe it. 

I was taken to jail because of the crime 
committed by the one who had me arrested. 
But I had been seen coming from the house 
and I had dropped my handkerchief while wiping 
the tears from my eyes. 

It was thought to be a plain case with 
convincing proof — of circumstantial evidence. 
Thrown in jail, I was at a loss to know what 
to do. I was not guilty, but to prove it was 
the next thing, and the most important thing 
to do. I hailed the turnkey as he passed, and 
asked for an attorney. I was favored with the 




I WAS HAILED AND CONFRONTED BY THE REAL 
MURDERER AND OFFICER. 



SPIRITS DO RETURN. 13 

services of one. I did some good thinking as 
to how I should prove my innocence. 

"Well, my friend," said the attorney, "I 
have come to see what I can do for you. I 
see you need help. You do not look like a 
very bad man or a criminal." 

"I thank you, sir," I replied. "I am not 
either, but why am I accused of murder?" 

"Murder! You a murderer? Oh, no, I 
hope not!" 

"I am not, but how shall I make the court 
understand that I am innocent?" 

"Well, my friend, explain your case." 

I explained matters, and he remarked: "I 
do not see how the court could find an innocent 
man like you guilty. I am going to show the 
court without trouble that you are not guilty. 
Have courage; I shall get you out of here as 
soon as possible." 

The day of the trial was at hand. I had 
become haggard and worn from the terrible 
strain, from the uncomfortable cell which I had 
occupied. My case was called. All ready, I 
was told to take my oath, and then I was sworn 
to tell the truth and nothing but the truth. 



14 SPIRITS DO RETURN. 

If I could make the court understand that I 
was innocent, I would soon be a free man. 

"Will you tell the court all about this case?" 
said my attorney. 

I proceeded to do so, but, to my horror, I 
was proved guilty to the jury and sentenced 
by the judge. 

What was I to do? I went back to jail to 
wait for a new trial. If that failed, it meant 
ten years in prison at hard work. I had been 
convicted on circumstantial evidence, my hand- 
kerchief being found in the house of the mur- 
dered woman. I tried to console myself with 
the belief that in some way I would be helped 
out. 

I had remained in jail three months when 
one night I was thinking of the advice my poor 
old mother had given me, and that was: "When 
in trouble, pray, pray, pray!" I began to pray, 
and as I prayed I felt encouraged. After that, 
I prayed often, hoping that my prayers would 
be answered. At last I could see that I was 
fortunate to know within that I was not the 
real murderer; then I thought that I should 
pray for the murderer, and I did pray as I 
never prayed before. 



SPIRITS DO RETURN. i S 

Oh, what a terrible thing it is to be accused 
of a crime so great as that and be innocent! 

A new trial was denied me. What was I 
to do? God knows I was innocent, but I could 
not make men believe so here on this earth. 
The day for the journey to the pententiary was 
at hand, and I must go for another's crime. 

As the turnkey called us from our little, dark 
cells he said: "Please get ready, for we will 
have to take the morning train to your home — 
for some of you a home for some time to come." 

That included me; that meant a home for 
ten years — and innocent! I had no appetite 
that morning, for I was thinking of the in- 
justice done to many innocent men, and I was 
one of them. 

We were locked together — shackled — and 
started away to prison. On arrival we were 
listed for different crimes. A murderer, num- 
bered 78 ! And the worst, I thought, was when 
they cut and shaved my head of hair. Then 
I was told to don my new suit of stripes and 
checks. That alone was enough to make any 
man falter. 

; 'This way," I heard^ajjruff^ voice jay. 



16 SPIRITS DO RETURN. 

I looked for someone to look and in a second 
I felt the strong arm. 

"To you I am speaking. I want to show 
you your cell." 

I had not recovered from the shock of my 
garments. I was shoved headlong into my cell, 
dark, and oh, so dreary! Anyone who could 
experience my feelings at that moment would 
never commit a crime. 

I can not say that I rested well on my new 
bed that night. I thought that morning would 
never come. Yet I do not know why I should 
have longed for day, as I had so long a time 
to stay. At last breakfast was served — or, rather, 
thrown at us. I was feverish and excited. All 
the time I wondered what my work would be. 
I did not have to wonder long. I was unlocked 
from my cell and told to step out and fall in 
line. I did so and onward we marched. A 
halt was called and I was told to step aside. 

A very important man, called guard, said : 
"You are wanted here, sir!" 

I stepped aside and was shown my work, 
which was hard, even harder than anything I 
had ever done. I was told to pick up the sledge 



SPIRITS DO RETURN. 17 

and was shown in what shape to hammer the 
iron. 

I hesitated, and finally said: "My God! 
man, I never did such hard work, and I don't 
think I can do this." 

All the sympathy I received was: "You do 
the work or you will be thrown into a dark 
dungeon to decide if you can, and you will get 
bread and water until you do decide." 

I thought that I would as soon go into a 
dungeon as to work myself to death. How- 
ever, I changed my mind and picked up the 
sledge, but I had not strength to wield it. 

I fell upon my knees and prayed that God 
would give me help. While I was praying the 
guard came up and with his monstrous club 
gave me one blow, knocking me senseless. 

I cried out as I came to my senses: "Man 
alive, do not strike me again! Can you not 
see I am not strong enough to do that work?" 

Oh! you fellows all have the same old gag 
to tell. Not strong enough! Ha, ha! But 
you are strong enough to strangle a poor woman 
to death." 

I rose to my feet, and shouted: "I am an 



18 SPIRITS DO RETURN. 

innocent man! I will be proven so before I 
leave this prison." 

"All who are sent here are innocent. Some 
of you surely get justice in trials." 

"I did not, for I was sentenced on circum- 
stantial evidence, and I know and my God 
knows that I am innocent! The dear woman 
who was murdered knows who killed her." 

"Well, the woman is dead, and you can not 
prove by her that you did not kill her." 

"My friend, she is not dead. Her body is, 
but her spirit is npt, and she can and will come 
and let it be known who the real murderer is." 

"Here, if you are crazy, we will put you in 
the mad-house. I know when you are dead 
you are dead." 

"I hope to be able to convince you before 
I leave here that the body dies, but the spirit 
lives on and returns and will and can talk." 

" Here, are you going to work ? I have heard 
enough of your foolish talk." 

"I will try, sir." 

No one can realize how I suffered. I was 
not able to work, yet I was forced to do so. 
I worried through that day. I could not eat 
the poor food that was given us. Another 




"MY GOD, MAN, I NEVER DID SUCH HARD WORK." 



SPIRITS DO RETURN. 21 

morning came. During the restless night I 
had prayed for help from the Spirit World, and 
I felt that my prayers were answered. 

The guard called: "You, I say, that never 
dies, get out here and get your breakfast and 
go to work." 

I stood up, and said: "I am ready, sir, but 
this morning I am so sick." 

"You eat what you get, and in a hurry too, 
for we want to see you at work." 

I obeyed, and was soon on the road to work. 

The prison laws were that we were not al- 
lowed to speak to our fellow-men. I watched 
my chance to speak, and when opportunity pre- 
sented, I said: 

"Friend, how long are you here for?" 

He did not answer. I thought perhaps he 
was hard of hearing, and repeated the words. 
He finally looked up and moved his lips. I 
knew he had served some time, as he had 
learned the sight movement of the lips, and I 
did not and could not understand that. I saw 
that I was lost, not knowing how to talk in 
that way. 

The guard said roughly: "You are not 
doing much. Here, are you watching for op- 



22 SPIRITS DO RETURN. 

portunity to lay down on me when I am not 
looking ?" 

"I am not, guard. I am doing all I am 
able to." 

"I think if you had a day or two rest in 
the rest-room it would help you. Come along 
here with me." 

The rest-room was a dungeon, dark as night. 
When I heard the heavy iron door close after 
me, I fell upon my knees and prayed God to 
take me from the place of darkness. I was 
hungry and cold. All the time I could hear 
the words : 

"We know you are innocent and will help 
you, and you shall be out of this place of unjust 
punishment" 

That night — oh, so long! Cold and hungry 
I was — I had no bed. The following morning 
I was given water and was told to drink and 
be merry; yes, to be merry! I wonder if the 
outside world could and does believe the sto- 
ries of the unfortunate ones who, guilty or not 
guilty, have to endure tortures behind prison 
walls. 

I remained there three days and grew weaker 
all the time. Why should I not grow weak, 



SPIRITS DO RETURN. 23 

living on water and darkness and standing up 
to sleep ? 

I was put to work at the same hard labor 
which I had performed before. I grew faint 
and fell at my post. I lay there when the 
guard came upon me. How he did swear! He 
clubbed me to my feet and reached out for me. 
One jerk from him raised me from my feet. 
He had subsisted upon good, substantial food. 
I was weak, hungry, and sick. 

I was taken to the office for a talk on "the 
carpet," as we called it in prison. As the Power 
over all men seemed to look down on me, I 
raised my eyes to Heaven and asked for proof 
to convince the official that I was an innocent 
man. I was hoping against hope for proof, and 
I heard a voice say: "Take him out. I will 
see what this lady wants." The official saw 
one whom neither the guard nor I saw. I was 
led away, back to the dungeon. 

Some hours afterwards I was again taken 
to "the carpet." I was praying silently for 
proof of my innocence. Again I was told: 
"Step aside, for the ladies come first." Later 
I was told of a very mysterious lady who showed 



24 SPIRITS DO RETURN. 

herself unannounced and when she was spoken 
to, vanished. 

Who could it be? When I was a child, I 
often sat with my dear father and mother around 
the fireplace and listened with the cold chills 
running down my back to stories of ghosts, as 
they called them, and how the ghosts would 
come and go. No, not where I sat in my dark 
dungeon and wondered if that lady could talk, 
and, if so, why could she not come to me and 
talk to me, as I was all alone. And I again 
thought perhaps I would not care to have her 
come to me — not as. long as I was in the dark 
and all alone. But what and who could the 
mysterious lady be? I was so interested in our 
ghost woman that I forgot my own troubles. 

That night, as I was wishing and praying 
for morning, and wondering what would be 
done with me on "the carpet," I felt that I 
could hardly wait. At last the sun shone on 
the prison walls once more, and I was heartily 
glad. One more day less of my ten years served. 
But there were still years to serve, and with such 
treatment and hard labor there was not much 
encouragement for a poor convict. 

I heard my cell door open. A gruff voice 
called to me to step out. I was glad to do so, 
and was told to come along. 



SPIRITS DO RETURN. 25 



CHAPTER II. 

Prison Life. — Mysterious 
Influences. 

As I was taken through the iron doors I 
heard a slam after me. The guard also heard 
the same noise. Turning, he called to me to 
halt, saying: "What was that?" 

"I 'm sure, I do not know, sir," I replied; 
"I only heard a noise." 

"I am not sure whether I did or not. I 
thought I saw a lady, as I turned my head." 

"Could it be a ghost?" I thought, and, if so, 
why was it following me? 

"Guard, what is the complaint against this 
man?" inquired the superintendent. 

"He will not work, sir." 

"Not work? Oh! Well, you have had a 
taste of the dungeon, have you not? If that 
will not do, we shall have to try some other 
means to get you to work, and that will be to 
tie your hands above your head until you are 
willing to work. How do you think you would 
like that?" 

"I am willing to work if I had lighter work," 



26 SPIRITS DO RETURN. 

I said; I have never had to do such heavy work, 
and I am unable to do it." 

"Take him out/' commanded the superin- 
tendent, "and put him on the rack, and when 
you feel you can do the work, we will be glad 
to take you to your work." 

I did not know what "the rack" meant and 
was very willing to follow. To my horror, it 
was a place where my hands were tied above 
my head. I stood facing the wall. Imagine 
the punishment of one fellow-man upon an- 
other! I begged for mercy. All my pleadings 
were ignored. When the guard had finished 
tying my hands, I was told that he would be 
around inside of twenty-four hours, to see if I 
had changed my mind. 

I knew that I could not stand the punish- 
ment long. I began to pray. I prayed for dear 
old mother to come to her helpless and innocent 
son. I began to feel the rack quiver. I was 
startled. I ceased praying for a moment. I 
thought I could feel the clasps move on my 
wrists. I was shaken with fear. Was I going 
mad, or did I feel the clasps move? To my 
great surprise, I was lowered so I could stand 
on the bottoms of my feet; before I could touch 
only the floor with my toes. I felt a terrible 



SPIRITS DO RETURN. 27 

feeling come over me and all was dark. When 
I came to myself, I was released. Could the 
guard have knocked me senseless? How was 
I loosened? I did not see him near me. I did 
not feel hurt from any blow. What could have 
happened to me! I remained there in a won- 
derment of thought as to what could have hap- 
pened. About five hours had passed when I 
heard footsteps and the guard entered. He was 
astonished when he saw that I was loosed. 
"What does this mean?" he exclaimed. 

"I am not able to say, sir. Did you not 
free my hands?" 

"I? No, sir; you know that I did not, and 
who did?" 

"I do not know. I was praying to my dear 
old mother, who died many years ago, to come 
to me and help me, as I was innocent of the 
crime for which I am being punished, and while 
I was praying I felt a dizziness come over me, 
and my hands were loosened and I was thrown 
to the floor, and when I came to my senses, I 
was free." 

"So you think that story will go here, do 
you? Well, come along. We shall see if we 
can tie you so your prayers will not untie you." 

"My God! do not punish me any more se- 



28 SPIRITS DO RETURN. 

riously. I am not deserving of this. I say to 
you that I am innocent." 

"We would have no use for the building if 
all of you fellows could prove to the world that 
you were innocent. If you are not guilty, why 
have you been brought here? Surely you had 
some justice done you." 

"Sir, I was convicted on circumstantial evi- 
dence. I was not proved guilty, for I am not 
guilty. The guilty one is at large, and the 
innocent one is here for ten years." 

"You are having. your own way about this 
argument. I only know you are here for mur- 
der, and it is my duty to see that you are work- 
ing for the next ten years. Come along with 
me." 

I was taken to "the carpet" and the look 
of the officer and higher official was like daggers. 
I trembled from head to foot. 

"You here again? What is the trouble, 
guard?" 

"I found this man standing with hands un- 
tied when I entered the rack." 

"What does this mean? Who untied you?" 

I saluted the superintendent, and replied: 
"I do not know." 

"Well, we will see if we can find out. Take 



SPIRITS DO RETURN. 29 

him back and double-tie his hands. Strap his 
feet also, and tip-toe him, and perhaps he will 
be willing to work by and by." 

I began to beg. How could anyone punish 
his brother man so? I said: 

"I am human and have feeling. I do not 
deserve such hard treatment. I would work 
willingly if you would give me work that I can 
do. I can not do hard labor — I never did." 

"You will do what we see fit to give you 
to do, and if you are not willing, you go back 
to the rack." 

I could not stand the ordeal. On bended 
knees I begged for mercy, and the mercy shown 
me was a clubbing, and I was marched back 
to the rack. 

"Now, sir, I will strap you, as I was ordered 
to do, and I will be around, perhaps, to see the 
other fellow untie you." 

As before, I was strapped with uplifted 
hands, and drawn from the floor to the tips of 
my toes. I was exhausted with fear, and as 
I was being tied, both feet together, I cried out: 
"God, have pity! Give me help and strength 
to stand this, for Thou, O Heavenly Father, 
dost know that I am innocent." 

I heard the heavy iron door close behind me, 



3 o SPIRITS DO RETURN. 

as I thought, for the last time. I could not 
see how I could ever withstand this punishment. 

Suddenly I began to experience the peculiar 
feeling of dizziness that had come over me be- 
fore. I felt my hands being loosened, then I 
knew nothing more. I lay I do not know how 
long. The first I remembered was when I again 
heard the door slam and over me stood the 
guard and the superintendent. I was told to 
get up. I obeyed, and the look on the faces of 
those men I shall never forget. 

After I was questioned as to how I felt, the 
dizziness began again to come upon me. I was 
again taken back to "the carpet," but this time 
with more of the feeling of sympathy than 
before. 

"I am at a loss, sir, to know what to do 
with you," said the superintendent. "I think 
that I shall have an investigation of your case 
and see if we can find why and what power you 
have, if any. I was an eye-witness to your 
being untied this time, and no one assisted. 
Invisible power is the only explanation I can 
make." 

Again I was taken back, but not to the 
rack — to my cell, where I was given some cof- 
fee, and kind words with it. I was wondering 




THE FIRST I REMEMBER WAS WHEN I AGAIN 
HEARD THE DOOR SLAM, AND OVER ME STOOD THE 
GUARD AND THE SUPERINTENDENT." 



SPIRITS DO RETURN. 33 

what this meant when I heard footsteps, then 
voices saying: 

"Let them tie you as often as they will. I 
shall free you. You are innocent, and shall not 
be punished." 

I looked for the one whose voice I heard, 
and, to my surprise, could not see anyone. I 
shuddered. I did not understand this. 

I had drunk my coffee, and was feeling 
somewhat better from its effect and that of the 
kind words, when the superintendent entered 
with others. 

As I arose to greet them I was drawn back 
by some invisible power. Remaining seated, I 
was told to arise. I could not do so, and re- 
plied that I could not. 

One of the gentlemen seized my arm and 
told me to stand up. I tried to do so, and could 
not. I was taken hold of by another and told 
to stand, but again I could not. Then they 
tried to lift me up, and they could not move me. 

I became alarmed. I did not feel ill — only 
slightly dizzy. 

They debated as to what they should do 
about my case. I could not understand such 
a mystery. I only knew that I was freed, by 
whom I could not tell. 



34 SPIRITS DO RETURN. 

The mystery was growing in my mind. As 
I was sent for by the doctor, whom they called 
in to diagnose my case, I arose without effort, 
to the surprise of the guard, and walked un- 
assisted to the office. There I confronted the 
doctor, apparently a well man, on my feet, and 
feeling well anyway. 

I was thoroughly examined, and pronounced 
physically well. Once more I was taken back 
to "the carpet/' and was told that I would be 
given lighter work, and to try not to be subject 
to any such treatment hereafter, as disobedient 
prisoners have to be* compelled to work. 

I was taken to the library, and told to book 
out all literature, as called for. I became very 
much interested in the work and was trying to 
make the best of it. I thought: "I am going 
to see if I can find some literature in here which 
will comfort me and help me to pass this long 
time which I must spend inside of these prison 
walls." 

I had an order for a book called "The Ghost 
of a Woman." Ghost of a woman! I won- 
dered if the prisoner who ordered it had seen 
the ghost of this woman talked of in this place 
and hoped to find a book telling what her mis- 



SPIRITS DO RETURN. 35 

sion is here. I thought: "I too should like 
to know." 

As I was tracing along the line of literature 
I was confronted with a book entitled "The 
Wisdom." What could that be? We all needed 
some of that, I especially. If I had had more, 
I would not be here. "As it is, I am here," I 
thought, "and I am willing to find wisdom." 

I laid the book aside to take along with me 
to my cell to read when I should have the op- 
portunity. I then continued the search for 
"The Ghost of a Woman." 

As the guard entered he said: "Well, you 
are not making much headway getting out those 
orders." 

"I have an order here for a book entitled 
' The Ghost of a Woman.'" 

"Here, we have a real live ghost, in here, of 
a woman, and that is enough ghost. Let me 
see who has left that crazy order. What! The 
superintendent wants this book. Well, look it 
up. I guess he has not had enough, but I have. 
I do not have to read of her, for I see her 
times enough." 

I was left to continue the search for the 
ghost book. At last I found a similar title and 



36 SPIRITS DO RETURN. 

laid the book aside. I would perhaps find the 
desired book in my search for other literature. 
All orders filled, I began to deliver to each 
prisoner's cell. We were allowed light to read 
by, two hours each night. I passed these two 
hours much more pleasantly with my book of 
wisdom than I could have done otherwise. Did 
I find wisdom? Do we all find it when we need 
it most? Some of us do not. It was so in my 
case. I got my wisdom after I could do no 
good with it, only to look forward ten years. 



SPIRITS DO RETURN. 37 

CHAPTER III. 
The Ghost of a Woman. 

I was told on the following morning, by the 
guard, that I would have to leave the library 
and do some printing. 

" Printing! Dear sakes alive, man, I am no 
printer!" I exclaimed. 

"Those are the orders," he replied. "Obey 
your orders." 

"I am very willing to do so if I knew how," 
I said. 

"I see that you have been reading a book, 
here, called ' Wisdom.' You should be able to 
do something." 

"If I had all the wisdom in my head that 
is in that book, I should not be here." 

"You are debating the question too long. 
Come along here, sir." 

I was taken to the printing quarters and 
given instructions as to what to do. To my 
surprise, the part to which I was assigned I 
could very easily handle. A prisoner said: 

"I am here to give you instructions how to 
prepare what we call ' The Daily Press* — news, 



3 8 SPIRITS DO RETURN. 

something for the prisoners to read, that they 
may know what goes on inside these walls that 
will be of benefit to them. We have some good 
men here. They are not all criminals because 
sent here. Some from misfortune, others from 
circumstantial evidence, which later is prov- 
en. I am always glad to see an innocent man 
found so. I am speaking in behalf of myself, 
here for another's crime. To make the best of 
it is all that I can do, as do many others, who 
are here as innocent as I am." 

I could not speak. I felt as if I were choking 
with sympathy for that poor chap. I too was 
serving a sentence for another's crime. I am 
not sure but that his number was on the order 
for a book entitled "I Am Innocent of Crime," 
a book to be found on the shelves of the prison 
library. 

I felt that I could work by the side of this 
fellow-man — this prisoner — more cheerfully, as 
he had authority to talk so as to be able to give 
instructions to inexperienced help. 

I was told to prepare an article for The 
Press, on how to use power to control yourself 
as well as others. I was very willing to do 
what I could. That is all anyone can do — the 
best we can. 



SPIRITS DO RETURN. 39 

I have been in the presence of men to whom 
I could not talk as freely as I should like to, 
and in the presence of others to whom I could 
talk fast enough. Those to whom one can not 
talk freely have a higher power over one, and 
those to whom one can talk freely are the per- 
sons over whom one has power. Who has not 
had the power experience? When we come in 
touch with those with whom we can not talk 
freely, it is power over each other. I am lead- 
ing out to the power we can not resist. What 
is that? I am able to say that I could not 
resist going into that house where a crime was 
committed to see what the trouble was with 
the poor lady who was murdered — murdered, 
and I accused of the crime! 

I was wondering what my fellow-man under 
whose instructions I was placed was there for, 
and I became so deep in thought that I was 
spoken to by him: 

"Well, you must have your work done for 
The Press, and time for the press to start is 
soon at hand." 

"I was so deep in thought I forgot myself, 
sir. I beg your pardon. I will try not to let 
that happen again." 

At that moment the guard stepped in. I 



4 o SPIRITS DO RETURN. 

was accosted in such a brutal way that my 
fellow-prisoner interceded for me and asked the 
guard to have mercy on me. 

"I am quite sure that the man will do all 
he can," he said. 

"Yes, he will when he is driven to it. He 
has caused us trouble from the day he landed 
here." 

"I am sorry, guard. If I could have com- 
plied with your rules and work, I should have 
been glad to do so; but I was not able to do the 
hard labor you asked me to do." 

" Was it hard work to strangle a poor woman 
to death? You found that a very easy job, 
did you not?" 

"Man, I can not stand it to be accused of 
a crime I did not commit!" At that moment 
I gave way to my feelings and cried out: "O 
Father in Heaven, can not I prove my in- 
nocence?" 

I found myself lying on my cot when re- 
vived. I knew not what had happened. I 
could remember the conversation and nothing 
more after that until the present time. 

I was in a dazed condition and had the 
feeling that someone was near and could see 
me. I was taken back to the printer's shop, 



SPIRITS DO RETURN. 41 

and must say that the instructor seemed to 
have a cold feeling for me. I said : 

"I notice that you are not quite so friendly 
as before. Have I offended you?" 

"I have no use for a murderer, sir, and es- 
pecially for one who murders a helpless woman." 

"I say to you, kind fellow-prisoner, that I 
am innocent." 

"Yes. I have your reputation from the 
guard. Now, you get to hard work here, and 
no more of your pleading innocence." 

" I am going to do all that I can, sir, and as 
well as I can, to please you." 

I continued to prepare the press work. I 
wrote of the way to live and live right. We 
all make mistakes. Some repent, others never 
do. Who has not made mistakes which he 
would, if he could, undo ? I wrote : 

"O dear fellow-prisoners, we have all made 
mistakes. If we had not, we would not be 
here." 

As those words were for The Press, the pris- 
oner's daily paper, I thought them very appro- 
priate. As I left for lunch I noticed the man 
who was so indifferent before. He stopped to 
see what my subject was. I could not help 



42 SPIRITS DO RETURN. 

but see a change in his manner toward me; 
he acted in a more brotherly way. 

As I was locked in for the night I was tired 
and sick — heart-sick. I could not see, for the 
life of me, how I could stand many years of 
prison life. At last I closed my eyes for the 
night — a long, dark, dreaming one. When a 
child I ofttimes sat at my mother's knee, before 
I was sent to bed, and was taught my prayers; 
to ask Our Father in Heaven to watch over me. 
The next day I knelt and prayed as I had long 
years ago for my dear old mother, and asked 
God to help me the following day. 

Somehow I felt better after I prayed. Eight 
o'clock was the hour for work to begin, and I 
was somewhat encouraged that morning. I 
knew not why. Perhaps the kindness which 
was shown me by my fellow-prisoner the day 
before was what lightened my heart. 

The day's work had begun when I was 
spoken to by a gruff voice, and told that I was 
wanted at the office. 

My heart was crushed. I thought perhaps 
I was to undergo some painful ordeal, as here- 
tofore. I could not keep up courage to get to 
the office. I was trembling with fear when I 



SPIRITS DO RETURN. 43 

entered. I did not ask what I was wanted for. 
I felt that I should know soon enough. 

Suddenly the officer looked up and smiled. I 
did not understand the meaning and remained 
silent. He then spoke as if I were a guest 
instead of a prisoner: 

"Well, sir, I have some work for you to do. 
I want to find out who the lady is I see here 
and don't see here, although I hear her voice, 
and she seems to be calling your name. Do 
you or can you explain the mystery?" 

At that moment I could not speak. After 
a few moments, I tried to answer in this way: 

"I am not able to give any information 
whatever. I know not whom you see or hear." 

"Well, sir, can you account for your mys- 
terious freedom from the rack?" 

"I am not able to do so." 

"Neither can I, and I sat there and watched 
you being untied. Did you ever hear your 
dear old friends tell of ghosts?" 

"I hear this is a ghost doing this." 

"I am not able to say." 

"Neither am I." 

"Well, do you think you could find out if 
it were one?" 

"I could not say." 



44 SPIRITS DO RETURN. 

"I am going to have you remain in this 
office a few days and see if you can see what 
I do. I am not going to have you do anything, 
only look and listen." 

"Sir, I am not a coward, but I would prefer 
to work, as I am becoming used to hard labor 
and would like to keep busy." 

"I think you will find this job hard enough, 
and it will keep you busy enough — or, at least, 
I have been pretty busy holding myself in here. 
I feel I need my vacation now." 

What was I to # do? I was trembling from 
head to foot, and looking on all sides of me for 
the ghost. Presently the door opened. I col- 
lapsed and was deathly faint, when I found it 
was only a man. 

"I have made arrangements for the prisoner 
to remain here in the office with me. His place 
may be filled by another," said the officer to 
the man. 

"I am glad to stay in here with you," I 
said. "What shall I do?" I trembled so that 
my voice quivered. 

"Well, sir, I am going to let you take that 
comfortable chair and sit there for a time, while 
I am busy." 

I was seated presently. I felt my chair 



SPIRITS DO RETURN. 45 

move. I moved also, and I cried out: "I am 
going mad!" I was being moved in my chair. 

"That is nothing, sir. You perhaps will be 
moved as often as I have been, and that is 
many times." 

I knew not what to do. I could not dis- 
obey orders, but felt that I could no longer 
remain there. While debating whether to sit 
down or stand up, I was confronted by the 
form of a woman. 

I fell back and cried out: "Mother! mother! 
mother!" 

When I became able to speak again, I told 
that it was my dear old mother, and I was 
asked to describe her, which I did. 

"Well, there are two ghosts here, then," said 
the officer; for that is not the description of 
the one I saw." 

Was I to go through with another experience 
of seeing another ghost? I fell on my knees 
and begged to be sent back to the printing shop. 

"You are doing more good here than any 
place in which I have placed you. I think you 
have a good, long job here — -or, at least, until 
we find out what the mysterious lady wants 
around here." 

"I am glad to be with you, but you are not 



46 SPIRITS DO RETURN. 

giving me any punishment of hard labor, as the 
judge said you should." 

"Well, I don't know. Perhaps you have 
not worked at this long enough to find the 
hard part of it." 

What should I say next to find some excuse 
to get away from there? I had thought of all 
excuses, and presently I began to feel sick, or 
pretended so. Oh, how I did moan! I did 
not create any sympathy. The officer informed 
me that he had to moan louder than that when 
they got after him. 

I got well the next breath. What to try 
next I did not know. I could not break away 
from prison. Soon I heard footsteps. I looked, 
but could see no one. I asked the officer if he 
heard anything. 

"Oh, yes, I hear them. You are not fright- 
ened, are you? Well, I have become used to 
them, and you will if you stay here a few days." 

"Man, I will die if I have to remain in this 
office another day!" 

"I have felt as you do, and I have had the 
same experience ever since you came to this 
prison. And your name is repeated many times 
a day. Can you explain what all this means?" 

"I am an innocent man charged with murder 






SPIRITS DO RETURN. 47 

done by another. I am not treated justly. That 
is all I can say or know. I do not know any- 
thing about these voices or mysterious women, 
but I am quite sure that I saw my dear old 
mother, as she was when living. I do not under- 
stand it. I am told that we never die. To 
explain further I am not able, but I do want 
to get out of this office. I feel strong enough 
to do any kind of hard work." 

"Well, sir, I am glad that we have found a 
way to make you work, and you may go back 
to hard labor." 

The guard was called and orders given to 
take the prisoner back to hard labor — not the 
printing shop, as he was willing to do hard work. 

"You may try to lift some of those anvils 
which we have orders to ship. It requires three 
or four men to get them where we can load 
and ship." 

Could I do what required the strength of 
three or four men? 

"You may come along here." 

As I was leaving for the shipping yards I 
felt that I was accompanied by others beside 
my guard, but I could see no one. Presently 
we confronted the place of shipping, and I was 



48 SPIRITS DO RETURN. 

shown what was to be done. I looked at the 
guard, and exclaimed: 

"Man, do you expect me to load those heavy 
irons on the truck?" 

"I do." 

"Well, I do not think that your expecta- 
tions will be granted. I am not a giant, and 
neither am I a myth. I am only a man, as 
you are." 

"I did not bring you over here to argue 
that question. What you must do is do the 
best that you can and try to load up." 

"I will not disobey orders, but I do not see 
or understand why I should be asked to do 
such hard work — why the work of two or three 
men should be placed on one." 

Once more I felt that I could not get cour- 
age to try. I could hear someone say: 

" We will help you" 

I looked for someone, as before, but no one 
was near. 

"Well, if you are going to work, do so at 
once." 

I bent over to make an attempt to satisfy 
my guard. As I did so I received help, and 
behold, I could feel the iron move! I was hor- 
rified, but I saw that I was moving it along 



SPIRITS DO RETURN. 49 

toward the truck, and that without strain or 
great effort on my part. 

As the guard saw the great load moving he 
called out: "You are moving it! Be careful, 
be careful!" 

I could hear the sound of someone breathing 
heavily. I put the load down and turned to 
see if I had help. As I looked for the guard, 
to my surprise, he was lying on the floor near 
by. I stepped over and spoke to him. He 
did not answer. I called out to him to speak 
to me. No answer. The shipping space was 
off to itself, and at that moment there was no 
one near. I could not think what to do. I 
could see at once that I would be accused of 
harming or killing him, as he lay apparently 
dead. 



50 SPIRITS DO RETURN. 

CHAPTER IV. . 
Accused of Murder. 

I thought of the other wrong accusation of 
murder. Now, perhaps, it would happen again. 
I finally decided to call for help. An officer 
stepped up. When he saw his fellow-officer ly- 
ing as I have said, apparently dead, he at once 
accused me. 

"What have you. done to this man?" 

"I am innocent of any harm to that man. 
I did not even see him fall." 

"What were you doing that you did not see 
him fall?" 

"I, sir, was doing what he told me to do — 
loading those pieces of iron on the truck. I 
heard deep breathing and turned to look, and 
found him as you see him now." 

"Well, I do not believe one word you have 
told me, and more, no sane man would ask 
another to do what it would require three or 
four strong men to do." 

"I was not only asked to do so, but I was 
doing it. I had moved the iron to the distance 
you see, from the remainder." 



SPIRITS DO RETURN. 5 i 

"Now you come along. I will send the hos- 
pital word about him." 

Again I was taken to the office. I wondered 
what would be done now. As I had no way of 
proving that I did not commit the deed, I could 
not make them understand that I had not 
harmed the guard. 

The officer said: "I will tell you. I found 
the guard lying on the floor. I do not know 
if he is dead or in a faint. I do know that he 
looks very much like a dead man." 

"What! Do you mean to tell me that this 
man has committed another murder?" 

"I am not a murderer, and I did not harm 
this man. I did not, I say, and God is my 
judge." 

"We shall have to take some unusual pro- 
ceedings with you. I am sure that when we 
find out the truth, which I hope and pray to do, 
and we will if this man is not dead and he tells 
the story of how he was harmed, we will be 
able to at least see what and why so much 
mystery surrounds you." 

"I hope he may live and be able to tell the 
story, for I am anxious to find out how he 
happened to be in the condition found." 



52 SPIRITS DO RETURN. 

"Are you quite sure that you do not al- 
ready know?" 

"I do not, sir." 

"I am at a loss to know what to do with 
you and where next to place you. Do you think 
that you could prove to us that you did move 
the iron?" 

"I do not know, sir. I am quite sure that 
it moved, and I did not see anyone near, and 
that is why I stopped when I heard the moan- 
ing — to see what was wrong, and I saw my 
guard lying on the floor." 

"You tell a very plain story, but can we 
believe it? I can not, and will try you out 
again on the same work." 

To the other guard he said: "You may 
take him back and see if what he has been 
telling is true." 

"Oh! I beg you not to try my strength on 
what would require three times the amount of 
strength I have, and perhaps cause another cir- 
cumstantial evidence of murder, if the guard 
should be found dead, after reaching the hos- 
pital." 

"I shall not expect you to do so much. I 
want you to substantiate the story you are 



SPIRITS DO RETURN. 53 

telling us. And now you may go back to the 
shipping quarters." 

I was taken, this time accompanied by the 
officer to whom I was talking and who was giv- 
ing orders to place me where I should be given 
the work. 

I thought, on the way back, that I should 
fall with fear and weakness. I could not see 
how I could have courage to try to move the 
unreasonable load again. 

We are shown no mercy in prison — at least, 
I was not. Instead, I was bidden to do work 
which it was impossible for me to do, outside 
of prison walls. We accomplish a great many 
feats through fear. I am sure that I could not 
accomplish many which I did except through 
fear. 

"Now, sir," said the officer, "you say that 
you moved that iron that distance?" 

"I did, sir." 

"Well, you may now show if you can move 
it as far, again, and I shall see that while you 
are moving it you do not move me too, as you 
did the other, to the hospital." 

At that moment I could not speak. Instead 
I could hear someone speak to me, and the 
words were: 



54 SPIRITS DO RETURN. 

"I will help you. Take hold." 

I did so. As I bent over I could see several 
trying to get hold of the anvils. I felt that my 
strength was greater than ever before, and I 
could see the anvils move along, apparently with 
ease. After I had moved them to where we 
wished them to be, I raised up and found that 
I was all alone. I looked around for the officer 
and guard, but they were not to be seen. 

As I was standing meditating as to what 
I should do, a prisoner all alone with no guard 
in sight, I wondered if I should call for a guard, 
or try to move another mass of iron. 

At that moment a voice called to me. Turn- 
ing to look, I was confronted by a new guard, 
whom I had never before seen. We could read- 
ily tell the guards by their uniforms. 

"How does it come," he said, "that you are 
outside of your rank and here doing nothing 
with no guard near?" 

"Sir, I am here working and had a guard 
with me." 

"Well, where is he now?" 

"I do not know, sir. While I was lifting 
these anvils and placing them where we could 
load them for shipment, he disappeared." 



SPIRITS DO RETURN. 55 

"Go on! What are you giving me? You 
alone lifting these anvils?" 

"Yes, sir." 

"Do you know that you are not strong 
enough to lift one end of any one of them, not 
even the smallest-sized one there?" 

"Well, I do not understand, myself, how 
I did it, but I did." 

"I think that I shall have to take you to 
'the carpet.' You are astray from work in 
some part of this prison." 

Dear, oh, dear! Back to "the carpet"! On 
the way I could hear a hearty laughing, and I 
felt that I was being ridiculed by my fellow- 
men, because I was taken so often to the so- 
called "carpet." As we knew, usually when 
an officer was taking a prisoner to the office 
many times, he was sent for as a punishment 
for disobeying. In another moment I thought 
I could not have heard the prisoners laugh, as 
that was against the rules. Then what did I 
hear? 

We at last reached the office, only to find 
the superintendent gone, the door locked, and 
no way of getting in, as the door of the office 
leads inside of the prison walls. Therefore it 
is necessary to have locked doors at all times. 



56 SPIRITS DO RETURN. 

The next thing to do with me was to lock 
me in my cell, as I could not make the officer 
believe that I was working when he found me. 

After some time in my cell I was again sent 
for, this time by a new guard, and was told to 
go to the office with him. 

As we entered I saw several men whom I 
had never before seen in the office. I noticed 
that they were officers of the prison. They 
seemed to be very much excited, and I must 
say that I too was excited. I did not know 
what next they would or could do with me. 



SPIRITS DO RETURN. 57 

CHAPTER V. 
Official Excitement. 

I was told to be seated. As I turned to 
the empty chair I was not permitted to sit 
down. I could not do so. I tried as hard as 
I could, but I did not move. Again I was 
spoken to, and told to be seated. This time 
the voice that commanded me to be seated was 
gruff and harsh. 

I replied: "I am trying to, sir, but I can 
not move." 

"You sit down. We are going to find out 
what is wrong with you. I have called in all 
the higher officers, and we intend to have your 
case thoroughly investigated this day." 

All this time I did not move — I could not, 
and presently I heard a voice say: 

"Do not sit down. We will not allow you to 
do so." 

Suddenly I was seized by the officer, and 
was again told to sit down. 

I said: "I would obey if I could, but I 
can not move." 

"Well, I will move you." 



S 8 SPIRITS DO RETURN. 

I could see that the officer made an effort 
to compel me to move, and I could feel myself 
grow rigid. Presently I felt myself begin to 
move toward the door of the inside prison, and 
for a moment everything seemed dark. I felt 
a sickening feeling come over me. I began to 
lose consciousness, and found myself sitting on 
the chair against the prison door. All the offi- 
cers were lying on the floor. I cried out for help. 

"Come to my rescue!" I cried. "I have 
not harmed anyone here." 

At that moment guards came from all direc- 
tions, and shouted: "Open the door!" I could 
not and did not move. 

Again they shouted, and I did not move. I 
did not look like a dead man, sitting there, but 
I must frankly say that I felt like one, and if 
wishes could have been granted, would have 
been one, for I was in prison for one murder, 
perhaps two, and from the surroundings it might 
be several, as these men all looked like corpses 
to me. 

Presently "Bang!" went the door. The 
guards had gotten great heavy irons and were 
trying to force the door open. When they suc- 
ceeded, I was the first one to be taken care of. 
As a matter of fact, the dead men, as they 



SPIRITS DO RETURN. 59 

thought them, could be gotten away in only 
one way, and that is carried. I could get away, 
but did not have a chance. But I got some- 
thing else, a good beating from the officers. 

Oh, how I did beg and try to explain to 
them that I had not harmed anyone! but in 
vain. I was laid up for some time from the 
severe treatment. 

I knew not what became of the officials, or 
how badly, if at all, they were hurt. Neither 
did I know how it happened that they were 
all lying so helpless on the ffoor. 

It was unfortunate for me, as they did not 
know of this mysterious power nor of the "lady 
ghost" — so called, nor of the unseen power which 
had put our friend in the hospital. He had 
recovered enough to take notice when the offi- 
cers were brought into the hospital. He nat- 
urally inquired if there had been a prison raid, 
and the answer was: 

"More serious than that. We would be glad 
to let some of our prisoners go if we could do 
so, as they seem to do much as they please 
with themselves and others too. The great 
mystery is causing much trouble, and we can 
not find out what is wrong." 

"How long have I been here and why am 



60 SPIRITS DO RETURN. 

I here? I am not hurt. I was not attacked 
by my prisoner. The last I remember I was 
cautioning him to be careful, as I saw him lift- 
ing what no three men could. That is my last 
recollection. I have not an ache nor a pain, 
and why am I here ? Bring the prisoner to me. " 

"We can not. He is also in the hospital. 
He disobeyed so much that he received such 
treatment as to be sent to the hospital." 

"He has! Tell me what has he done?" 

"To the best of my knowledge, he has mur- 
dered five of the officials, all brought in here 
just now, as you have seen." 

"Murdered! murdered! I want to get to 
him." 

"You too have been injured by him, and 
you must remain quiet until pronounced out 
of danger." 

"I am not injured, and he did not harm me. 
I must be taken to the office, that I may declare 
this man innocent of that crime." 

"I shall have to have orders from your 
physician before I could consider taking you 
out of the hospital. I fear that you are not 
yourself, when you say that the prisoner did 
not harm you." 

"I can swear before all, and by God in 



SPIRITS DO RETURN. 61 

Heaven, that he did not. I must be taken 
to him and tell him that I will say that he 
did me no harm." 

"You will have plenty of time to prove his 
innocence, and tell why you are here and how 
you did get hurt if he did not do it." 

"I am not hurt. I am as well as I ever was 
in my life, and I must see the doctor and say 
to him that I must be out of here." 

"Very well; I will go to the doctor and 
send him to you." 



62 SPIRITS DO RETURN. 



CHAPTER VI. 

Discharged from the Hospital. 

"Good morning, sir/' said the doctor when 
he entered. "I was told that you wished to 
see me." 

"If it is the rule of this hospital to be dis- 
charged by the doctor, then I want to see you. 
Outside of that I do not need you." 

"Are you preparing to leave here?' 3 

"I am. Why should I remain here? I am 
not sick." 

"You are not able to leave. I see that you 
are in a very dangerous condition." 

"Tell me why you say and think so." 

"I am going to say to you that I have seen 
many such cases as yours — delirious. They do 
not feel ill and know not what is wrong, and 
think they are in the very best of health. I 
will take your temperature." 

"One moment, please — " 

"Temperature 104. You are a very sick 
man. You must remain in this ward." 

"I must save the accused prisoner. He did 



SPIRITS DO RETURN 63 

not hurt me. I distinctly remember that I was 
saying to him, 'Be careful!' and he was not 
even looking toward me." 

"Well, sir, I fear that you do not under- 
stand. I have been attending some of our of- 
ficials who have been hurt very badly by the 
same prisoner, and we have him in the mad- 
house, very dangerously injured by the officer 
who found them a few minutes after the act 
had been committed, just as you were found, 
and he pleaded innocent, just as he did in 
your case." 

"I will say to you, and I must say to all 
men, that he did not harm me. I am not ill. 
I must be discharged from this place." 

"Very well; I will see about it." 

Going to another part of the hospital, where 
the other patients who had fallen to the floor 
had been taken, the doctor, turning to the 
superintendent, said: 

"Good morning. You are feeling much bet- 
ter this morning?" 

"I am, sir. I do not feel ill. I am not ill, 
and shall leave for the office at once. Why am 
I here? I have not been ill. As I awakened 
this morning I could not for a moment realize 
where I was and what had happened." 



64 SPIRITS DO RETURN. 

"Have you no recollection of any trouble?" 

"I do not remember of any. Oh, yes! The 
mysterious ghost is all the trouble I have had 
for some time. But how is the guard the pris- 
oner hurt? Is he dead? What have they done 
with him? Did I not order him to be brought 
in, so that the superior officers might see what 
could be done? Oh, I do remember, now! It 
was not clear in my mind until now; now it 
has begun to clear up so that I can remember. 
Pray tell me why you brought me here? I do 
not remember of coming. Who is in charge 
of the office?" 

"An officer is taking care of the office. It 
is well cared for. 

"I have some mail here. Shall I leave it 
at the office, or here?" 

"The officer is able to read." 

"You are not to make me sick by saying 
these things. I am not sick. 

"What have I here? A letter from the mur- 
derer of the mysterious woman ghost! What 
does this mean? Listen: 

"'/ want to confess. I did the murdering, 
and not the prisoner you have there. He is in- 
nocent? 

"Well, well! He does not give his name 



SPIRITS DO RETURN. 65 

and I wonder how he knows of a mysterious 
ghost, as I have guarded very carefully about 
the mystery. I have avoided gossip about the 
matter, preferring that it should not get out. 
But I should be glad to free the ghost and let 
her out. I should be entirely willing if she 
would go. When I go to the office, I shall send 
for the prisoner whose name I hear called so 
much. And I shall show him this letter and 
notice if any change comes over him. 

"Now I shall leave for the office, and you, 
guard, may bring the prisoner numbered 78 
there." 

Soon a guard appeared at my side, saying: 
"You are wanted at the office. Get up there." 

"I am not able to go. I have been badly 
hurt, and I am heart-sick. I know that I can 
not live this life any longer." 

"You will not have to, perhaps, if you knew 
what I know. You would make an effort to 
get up and come along with me," said the guard. 

" The right murderer will be in your place 
soon, and you will be out; so collect your strength, 
my son, and go. I will help you. I have the 
strength to help you and I will do so." 

"I hear someone talking, but I do not see 
anyone. Did you hear anyone?" 



66 SPIRITS DO RETURN. 

"Yes, I did. I heard the voice say, 'Son, 
get strength.' I heard that and more." 

" ' You will be out soon ' — did you hear that ? " 

"I did." 

Once more to "the carpet" — this time with 
more hope than before, that the truth would 
come out. 

On entering I saw that the officer looked pale. 
He seemed to be very much worried. 

"Good morning, sir. I have a very mys- 
terious letter here. Can you tell me anything 
about it? You may read it." 

I saw the words, "I am the real murderer of 
the mysterious woman ghost." I cried out: 

"I prayed to God that the real murderer 
would come and acknowledge that he did the 
crime, for I knew that I did not, and I know 
who did." 

"The name, sir?" 

As he wrote it down I could hear a hearty 
laugh, and so did he. 

"Do not laugh, sir. You are not proved 
innocent." 

"I beg your pardon. I did not laugh." 

"Who did, then?" 

"I am not able to say." 

"Officer, take him back. I feel that I must 



SPIRITS DO RETURN. 67 

see if this is a letter written by some crank, or 
was it written as a real confession. It is a mys- 
tery. I must say that I think this man is in- 
nocent, and I propose to look into this aifair 
thoroughly at once. If he is innocent, he must 
be released. If not, he must work. I shall 
write to the authorities at the place where this 
letter was posted and have them make an in- 
vestigation. I am of the opinion that this man 
is not guilty. As I sit here I know that I am 
hearing the words: 'My son is innocent and 
you must release him from this prison.' Yet 
I know that the one whose voice I hear is 
invisible." 

A week passed. There had been no answer 
from the ones who had been written to in re- 
gard to the prisoner. The superintendent grew 
weary of waiting. He felt that there should 
have been some reply. He had sent a copy of 
the anonymous letter of confession. 

A guard appeared, and said: "You have a 
very sick man in 78. I have not been able to 
arouse him, and I have been working over him 
for some time." 

Telling the story afterward, the superintend- 
ent said: 

"I looked at the guard, and at that moment 



68 SPIRITS DO RETURN. 

I saw a lady standing beside him. I arose and 
asked her: 'What can I do for you, t madam ? ' 

"The guard turned to look as she vanished, 
and said: 'You are mistaken. I brought no 
lady here with me.' 

"I was so astonished at the remark that I 
spoke harshly and demanded the guard to tell 
me who the lady was and how she got in, if 
he had not admitted her. 

"He replied: 'I am not able to say. I did 
not see anyone. I came directly to you and 
did not see anyone here, nor did I notice any- 
one near as I entered this office.' 

'"Well, what is wrong, now?' 

'"I came to tell you that No. 78 is a very 
sick man.' 

"'I suppose he thinks that he will get his 
freedom after the reading of the mysterious 
letter, but I feel that there is a mystery in con- 
nection with the entire matter. There is not 
enough proof to entitle him to his freedom. 
Proof of that kind would not go in court — at 
least, not in this day and age. If he needs a 
doctor, call one.' 

'"I am at a loss to know what to do with 
him.' 



SPIRITS DO RETURN. 69 

"As the guard turned to call a doctor for 
the prisoner I heard a voice say: 

'"He is not sick — only resting. He will soon 
be out of here.' 

"I once more looked to see whence came 
the voice. But could gain no information as 
to where or from whom the voice came. 

"'I must get away from this place. I am 
losing my mind/ I thought. ' Perhaps I really 
have lost it, for I can not explain these strange 
things. I must get away for a day or so. I 
will leave the office. Pearson can take care of 
this case while I am at rest and thinking this 
matter over. I can think it over away from 
here/ 

"The guard returned in a few minutes, 
smiling, and with the news that the prisoner 
was sitting up when he arrived with the doctor. 
He also said that the prisoner had denied that 
anything was the matter with him. 

"'So he has been feigning, has he? Well, 
he shall get no more sympathy from this place. 
I have decided to rest a few days, and in my 
place Mr. Pearson will give orders. But I want 
you to cease at once showing mercy on prisoner 
No. 78. You may go for Mr. Pearson. I shall 



70 SPIRITS DO RETURN. 

leave directions for him to find a place for the 
prisoner and see that he works.' 

'"I am not sure, but I think that I saw Mr. 
Pearson talking with the man very recently.' 

"'Well, bring him here. I want to talk 
with him/ 

"I was all a-tremble — just on the verge of 
nervous breakdown. All on account of this 
mysterious voice and seeing and not seeing. 

''Good morning, Mr. Pearson,' I said. 'I 
am leaving for a few days' rest, and I want you 
to take charge of this office and see that a con- 
vict here, No. 78, is put to work. He is very 
much averse to doing any work, and we have 
no pets in this place, so he can not be made one. 
The guard will report to you from time to time 
in regard to him.' 

"As I was leaving, in an undertone I said: 
'Yes, and if you do not get reports from some 
others, as well as the guard, I shall be very 
much disappointed. I hope that you will. I 
pray that you may, and perhaps I shall have 
help to find out what all this means. I hope 
that he will be able to explain all the mysterious 
actions by the time I return to work.' 

" Oh, what a relief it was to know that I was 
away from that strain for a while, at least!" 



SPIRITS DO RETURN. 71 

The acting superintendent thought: "I am 
going to see what the trouble is with No. 78. 
I wonder if that is the fellow who has caused 
so many mysterious things to happen around 
here. By George! I believe it is. I will ask 
the guard. Here he comes." 

"Guard, if that 78 prisoner hasn't any apti- 
tude for the position he has to occupy, you may 
bring him in. I will try to find out what voca- 
tion he has followed, and see if we can accom- 
modate him." 

As the guard left he shook his head, as if to 
say: "You can not have any luck in getting 
that fellow to work." 

But the official in his own mind decided: 
"My dear old dad has often told me that kind 
words will do far more than harsh ones or harsh 
treatment. I am going to treat this prisoner 
with kindness and gentleness." 

Then the acting superintendent looked up 
to see if he had a hard criminal to deal with, 
as No. 78 entered the door with his guard. He 
sank into his chair, gasping: 

"What do I see? My brother! Do my 
very eyes deceive me, or is it really he? A 
convict in this place!" 



72 SPIRITS DO RETURN. 

CHAPTER VII. 
"My Brother a Convict!" 

The official thought: "I must not let my- 
self be known. I must not." 

To the prisoner he said: "You may be 
seated, sir. I want to talk to you." 

Then to the guard: "I will excuse you, 
guard. I wish to question the prisoner alone." 

Turning to the prisoner: "Now, sir, I should 
like to hear something about yourself. Why 
were you sentenced, and have you registered 
under your real name?" 

"I have, sir. I am not a criminal. I have 
been sentenced because of strong circumstantial 
evidence. I am innocent. I did not commit 
the crime for which I am here." 

"Well, my opinion of you is good. I do 
not believe that you are a murderer — at least, 
I hope not. What occupation did you follow 
before you came here?" 

"I was a follower of any work I could do — 
anything that my strength would permit me to 
do. I was not a disagreeable man. I made 
many friends." 



SPIRITS DO RETURN. 73 

"If you had many, your friends were no 
help to you in this case. Did not they offer 
any assistance?" 

"No, sir; I was judged wrongly from the 
beginning — that is, as soon as it was discovered 
that it was my handkerchief which was found 
by the dead lady's side. My friends were no- 
where to be found. I received cold and hard 
looks from all." 

"Well, sir, I have heard your story. I want 
to ask you where you were born. What is your 
native country?" 

"My home, sir, is in England. When a very 
small boy, I ran away from home. I have 
grieved my dear old mother so much. I under- 
stand that she has since died, and after I heard 
that, I never cared to go home again, but I 
feel that many times she has spoken to me. 
Often, when I have been attracted to company 
I did not know well, I could feel that she was 
near me and I could hear these words: 'My 
son, be careful, be careful!' And I did not and 
would not go on after getting the warning, as I 
called it." 

"You talk as if you had tried to live the 
right kind of a life, and I feel that you have, 
but in the position which I hold here I must 



74 SPIRITS DO RETURN. 

not show any favors; otherwise I would do so 
in this case. Therefore I must give you work 
to fit the crime of which you have been accused. 
That will mean hard work." 

"I am willing to work, but do not give me 
work that my strength will not allow me to do. 
I am weak. I do not get the substantial food 
that you do, therefore I am not able to work 
hard. You do not know what it means to be 
punished for a crime committed by another. 
I am being punished for a murder which I never 
committed, and I ask yQU to have mercy on me." 

"You are guilty until proved innocent. I 
will ring for the guard, and he will place you 
where you belong." 

As the guard approached the prisoner turned 
and looked in astonishment. The official also 
looked, and, describing the scene afterward, he 
said: 

"I was raised from my chair. I do not 
know by what means. Then I began to feel 
dizzy and could not speak. I lost my power 
to see. I could feel someone near, and then I 
heard the voice of a woman saying: c You would 
sentence your brother to hard labor, to enable you 
to hold your own position? You, a child of the 
same mother and father? Have you no mercy on 



SPIRITS DO RETURN. 75 

him? My son, take this brother to your arms and 
let yourself be known to him. Look into this af- 
fair and see if he is not innocent. I will release 
you, and you do with your brother as you would 
have him do to you. These are the commands of 
the spirit of your mother.' 9 

"I shall never forget the terrible strain I 
was in, and as I mumbled brokenly I felt a 
hand trembling, trying to help me to stand up, 
and I was given strength by the help of this 
hand. 

"The guard asked for instructions as to 
where he should place this man — my brother, 
and I ordered him back to his cell. 

" I was at a loss to know what to do. Must 
I confess — acknowledge him as my brother? or 
should I pretend to beTignorant of the fact which 
was plain to my mind? No one knew that he 
was my brother — not even the man himself 
knew it. Why should I acknowledge a criminal 
and a murderer? I could not! 

"I thought: 'I shall place him at once at 
hard labor. I shall call the guard and have 
him brought in. I shall try to be brave and 
not think of boyhood days, when he and I went 
hand in hand to the dear old school. And dear 
mother, how she caressed us as she said good- 



76 SPIRITS DO RETURN. 

bye! I can hear those words ring in my ears 
yet: "Run along, children, and study hard, and 
some day you will be your mother's pride." 
Yes, to-day, if she could be near her criminal 
son, she would not be so proud of him. She 
would do as I am going to do, disown him.' 

"I had been so deeply engrossed in thought 
that I had not called for the prisoner, so I 
called: 'Guard, I want you to bring No. 78 
in here.' 

"I felt so uneasy that I thought: 'Can it 
be that I have decided wrong in this matter?' 

"'Here he is,' responded the guard, in a 
short time. 

" ' Come in, and I will find the work for you 
to do which I think you will be able and trust- 
worthy to do. You may take this coat and 
hat, and you may remove your coat of stripes, 
and we will exchange places.' 

'"What! You think that I would not do my 
part if I were given work which I could do? 
I know that I would do my part if given work 
I could do. I know I would do my part. Oh, 
please give me a chance ! I only want an oppor- 
tunity to live, if I can, those ten years I must 
stay in here — or, at least, until I am proved 
innocent.' 



SPIRITS DO RETURN. 77 

"'Well, how do you think you can prove 
that you are innocent?' 

" 'The real murderer has written to the super- 
intendent and confessed his guilt — or, at least, 
a letter has been sent here stating that I am 
innocent.' 

"'You received such a statement?' 

"'I did not, but the officer did — the one 
whose place you are filling.' 

"'I will look into this matter, at once.' 

"'You may take him back to his cell, guard, 
and I will send for him again when I have in- 
vestigated this thoroughly. Take him back, and 
return at once.' 

" I was sure that if he were innocent, he could 
be proved to be so, and I decided to go about 
it at once. 

"A great man, he is,' said the guard. 'We 
have had more trouble with him than with 
twenty-five of the other prisoners together.' 

"'Do you know anything in regard to a 
letter written here?' 

"'I do not. I think that the superintendent 
has taken a letter for use while he is working 
on the case for the poor devil.' 

'"Well, I will go to the records and see if 
there is a record of any such letter.' 



78 SPIRITS DO RETURN. 

'I hope that you will do something in a 
hurry, for I am getting tired of pacing back 
and forward with the gentleman/ said the guard. 
' I feel that I have need of a pair of shoes sot 
to going some other direction than from 78's 
cell to the office and back.' 

"'Well, Pat, what is your opinion of this 
case? Do you think the man is innocent, or 
not?' 

"'I'm not here acting as judge, but if he is 
guilty, the mon should work. Setting around 
eating of the victuals .and his toime going on 
just the same!' 

'The only way to prove his innocence 
would be for the poor woman to come back 
and tell how the murder was done, and I don't 
think there would be any of us here to do time 
or see others did if we would see her here telling 
us how she was murdered.' 

"'I, for one, would be a dead Pat.' 

"'Well, Pat, we are both in doubt about 
the prisoner's guilt. Now, as long as he is here 
and proved guilty, say we find work for him 
to do. What would there be to do where a 
man could work and not work?' 

'"Leave him have the same job he has had — 



SPIRITS DO RETURN. 79 

rest in his cell when he is not on the road here 
and back.' 

"'If you want a job of that kind, you mis- 
understand me, Pat. As I understand the poor 
man, he has never done very hard manual labor, 
and to place him to work of that kind, I fear, 
would make it necessary to soon change again. 
I am sorry that it had to fall to me to confine 
a convict to hard labor and feel that he is in- 
nocent [in an undertone] and my brother!' 

"'Well, shall I bring the poor devil in? My 
shoes has pointed that way; every toime I 
start the shoes on my very feet wants to track 
to 78's cell.' 

"'I wish we could arrange everything, Pat, 
so your shoes could get a rest. It matters not 
about our minds. Bring him along.'" 



8o SPIRITS DO RETURN. 



CHAPTER VIII. 

The Brother Sentenced to Hard 
Labor. 

The official continued: "As the man left to 
do my bidding I said to myself: 'He has gone 
to bring in my brother for me to sentence to 
hard labor. What shall I do? I do not feel 
as if I could utter the words.' 

"I was completely* upset. I experienced a 
most peculiar feeling. I thought: 'Here he 
comes. I must do my duty.' 

"I said to the prisoner: 'Come in, sir. And 
how do your feel this morning?' 

"Now, the devil take the mon who is two- 
faced! I brought the prisoner here to be put to 
work. Instead of that, he is having a nice 
visit with him. Inquiring about his health!' 
Pat was heard mumbling to himself. 

'Well, sir, I am going to see if you can do 
the work I will give you to do. I am going to 
have you take care of the prisoners in seeing 
that they have water to drink. Now, I will 
give you instructions. You understand the rules 



SPIRITS DO RETURN. 81 

of the prison, and I hope that you will abide 
by them. Do not speak to any of your fellow- 
prisoners. You will be passing back and forth 
around each working booth. They understand 
how to ask for water, if they wish any.' 

"'Pat, you may show him the way. And 
see that you do not burden him with a heavy 
load. Now you may go.' 

"'Well, come along here, pet. I will give 
you a quart bucket which is light to carry, and 
if I happen to be going your way, I will help 
you carry it.' 

"I hoped that at last we had found a place 
which the prisoner could fill I felt somewhat 
at ease. I felt that I had done my duty to my 
brother as well as I could under the circum- 
stances. I hoped that my arrangements would 
please him and also please the superior officer 
when he returned. And, by the way, it was 
time for him to return. I wondered if he had 
enjoyed his vacation. 

"'Well, your honor.' 

'"What is it, Pat?' 

'"Your pet has refused to carry a full bucket 
of water, and stands there and looks at it as 
if he never saw water before. He will not speak 
a word. I do believe he is petrified — turned to 



82 SPIRITS DO RETURN. 

one of those things which looks like a man and 
is a dead one.' 

"'Pat, I can hardly believe you. I shall 
have to see for myself. Close the door behind 
us. We can not leave it unlocked to tempt 
our prisoners. 

"'You are falsifying, Pat. Is not that the 
fellow, going there with that bucket of water?' 

"'To be sure it is.' 

"'Then why did you come to me with such 
reports?' 

"'I came with the. truth, your honor, and 
if the man can be dead one minute and alive 
the next, then I want to deal with the live ones 
all the toime.' 

'"You perhaps do not understand how to 
handle him.' 

"'And faith, I think the majority of them 
is in the same fix. They have had the same 
experience themselves.' 

'"Well, as long as everything is all right, we 
will try and rest easy.' 

'"You are resting easy now. But when the 
superintendent comes back and finds that when 
he has left orders to punish a convict you favor 
him, I think you will have to find yourself 
another job.' 



SPIRITS DO RETURN. 83 

"When the superintendent entered, I ex- 
perienced a feeling of relief. I exclaimed : ' Well, 
well! Back, and looking fine. I was thinking 
of you this morning, hoping that you were hav- 
ing a good rest.' 

"'I did not rest much, for reasons that I 
will explain. I have here a letter, which I re- 
ceived before I left. It purports to have been 
written by the murderer for whom No. 78 is 
serving time.' 

"'You have such a letter? But why do 
you look so excited?' 

"'Have you had any trouble with the pris- 
oner?' 

"'Well, yes and no.' 

"'What is the trouble? You answer me 
both ways.' 

'"I have placed him to work, and after I 
had done so I was informed that he refused 
to work. I was anxious to see for myself, and 
when I went to investigate, I found him doing 
his duty. Therefore that is why I answered 
you as I did.' 

"'To hard labor, as I instructed you to do?' 
'"Well, yes, hard labor for him, as he ex- 
plained that he had never done any hard labor. 



84 SPIRITS DO RETURN. 

I hope that you will be pleased with the work 
I have given him to do.' 

"'And what work has he been instructed 
to do?' 

" ' I have given — well, I thought he could be 
very useful in doing such work as that, and I 
asked Pat to start him at once.' 

"'Yes, yes; I think that is a good job. Call 
Pat. Push button No. 9. Pat is an Irishman 
who will tell the truth.' 

"'You are very nervous. I have noticed 
your peculiar actions ever since we began to 
talk of this affair.' 

"'Good mornin', your honor. I am very 
glad to see that you have returned.' 

"'I am glad to be here. Pat, what has 
become of No. 78?" Is he working? I hope 
to have some knowledge of him when you have 
finished talking. I have not been able to find 
out much through Mr. Pearson, here.' 

"Well, sir, I am only here to do as directed, 
and I follow instructions to the letter, and if 
I am told to go out and bate a fellow to death, 
I would do it, so in this case I did as I was 
instructed to do.' 

"'You are a noble officer, sir. I think you 
have been requested to tell me what has become 



SPIRITS DO RETURN. 85 

of No. 78. As yet you have not followed your 
instructions.' 

"'I will bring the rascal in here and let him 
tell you what he is doing.' 

"'Is he running at large, doing nothing?' 

"'Yes, sir, and has the privilege of carrying 

some water along to take a drink when he gets 

thirsty.' 

"'Bring him here. I will try to find out 
from him what orders have been given him. 

"'I am going to see if I can solve this mys- 
tery. Mr. Pearson, are you ill ? You are look- 
ing very pale. Do you feel ill? What is the 
matter? Are you faint? 

"'Come along, Pat, step lively. Bring your 
prisoner in, and call Doctor Gray. Mr. Pearson 
is very ill.' 

"The prisoner entered, saying: 'I am so 
glad to see you here and see you looking so 
refreshed.' 

"'Yes, I think I shall hold my fresh looks 
a long time here and have a myth, like you, to 
deal with.' 

"'I beg your pardon, sir, I have not caused 
you any trouble. I am not disobeying the 
rules. I never have.' 



86 SPIRITS DO RETURN. 

"'You are doing what now?' 

" ' I am carrying water for my fellow-prisoners 
to have a drink, as they need water so often.' 

"'Come in, doctor. I have a patient here 
for you. Mr. Pearson is very ill.' 

"At that moment I lost consciousness." 



SPIRITS DO RETURN. 87 



CHAPTER IX. 

The Superintendent Tries to Solve 
the Mystery. 

"Mr. Pearson has fainted. I have just re- 
turned from my vacation. Please get some wa- 
ter. I think it is nothing serious." 

"I don't understand the case. His pulse 
is normal. His temperature is not high enough 
to indicate extreme illness. Yet he seems to be 
in a very deep faint. You had better call an- 
other doctor. I am at a loss to know what 
to do." 

"I will ring for one at once. Here is Pat. 
I '11 send him for Doctor Simson. 

"Pat, go at once and bring Doctor Simson. 
We are not able to bring Mr. Pearson to." 

Pat was heard mumbling to himself: "An- 
other mysterious case. I 'm going to leave this 
prison, and I would not blame the others if 
they did the same, prisoners and all." 

"Dr. Simson, you are wanted at once, at the 
main office. The officer, Mr. Pearson, is a dead 
man — or, at least, he looks it." 



88 SPIRITS DO RETURN. 

"Well, Pat, if he is dead, there is no use in 
my going." 

"You better go and see for yourself. There 
are some funny doings going on around here. 
Men look like dead ones, and not dead. I hope 
I won't be looking like a dead one and disap- 
pointing my friends. You must be coming along. 
They sent me for a doctor, and, faith, I would 
bring you at once." 

"Well, Pat, I am ready. So your patient 
looks like a dead one, hey?" 

"You may decide that for yourself when 
you get there." 

"Well, here we are. I shall soon see. 

"Good morning, Mr. Officer. What have 
we here? A sick man? 

"Good morning, doctor." 

"Doctor, what would you do in a case like 
this? I am not able to tell what is wrong." 

"Have you taken his temperature?" 

"I have." 

"And what is it?" 

"Normal" 

"In so dead a faint, and normal?" 

"You may take his temperature and see if 
I am mistaken." 

"You are right, doctor. The best thing to 



SPIRITS DO RETURN. 89 

do is to let the patient rest a few moments. I 
see no serious danger I do not really under- 
stand the case." 

"Pat, you may bring in the stretcher and 
we will take him to the hospital." 

"I have been set to carrying the dead to 
the cemetery when they could not speak any 
more." 

"You are having some trouble with one of 
your prisoners here, I understand." 

"We are, doctor, and here he is." 

"He does not look like a sickly man, but, 
my dear sir, you can not always tell by looking 
at a man what strength he has." 

The prisoner interposed: "I am not a strong 
man, doctor, but I am strong enough to work 
if I were given work that I could do." 

"We have placed him in many places, and 
we have not been able to find out what he 
can do." 

"I am doing all that is required of me, am I 
not, at the last work you have given me to do?' 3 

"You are, as far as I know, but you were 
sentenced here to hard labor. I must obey the 
orders of the courts." 

"What is the poor man here for? He talks 
as if he were a good sort of a fellow." 



90 SPIRITS DO RETURN. 

"Murder. Does that sound as if he were a 
good fellow? And a poor woman, at that — 
strangled her to death. A horrible death." 

At that moment a voice was heard saying: 
" You are accusing him wrongfully. He is not 
a murderer." 

Turning to look for the speaker, they were 
surprised to see Mr. Pearson ready to speak. 

"Well, sir, you have recovered. How do 
you feel?" 

"I have not been ill." 

"Well, we have been very busy for the last 
half-hour, trying to get you to speak." 

" Pat, you may take the stretcher back. The 
patient will be able to walk to the hospital if 
he needs to go." 

"The way these fellows have of dying and 
coming to life again must be a trade they have 
learned." 

"Are you not going to let me work, sir, at 
what I was last given to do?" 

"You are going to hard labor. No more of 
this playing off around here." 

"Very well, sir." 

"I don't think that you need my services 
any longer," said the doctor. The officer seems 



SPIRITS DO RETURN. 91 

all right, and he says that he is. I shall return 
to the hospital." 

"Now, Mr. Pearson," said the superintend- 
ent, " please explain to me — when orders were 
given to put this man to hard work, you gave 
him a trusty job." 

"I did the best I could. I am not a heart- 
less man. The poor fellow said he could not 
do hard manual labor, and I believe he told the 
truth, and I am willing to give him a trial, for 
proof of his honesty." 

"You know of all the crimes he has com- 
mitted while in here, do you not? Or, at least, 
tried to and failed." 

"In what way, pray tell me?" 

"Trying to murder the guards. I, for one, 
had a peculiar experience with him. Found 
myself in the hospital — fortunately, not hurt, 
however, but not able to explain what had 
happened." 

"Now you will have to work, sir, and I am 
going to call Pat. I can trust him to see that 
you do. 

"Pat, take this fellow to the booth where 
they prepare iron for shipping, and see that he 
works. And I shall assign you, Pat, to take 



92 SPIRITS DO RETURN. 

care of him, and him alone. We shall see if 
this mystery can be cleared up." 

"Come along with me, pet 78. I .will make 
a sure enough dead one out of you if you trifle 
with me. When I have instructions to do any- 
thing, I generally do it." 

"Now, Mr. Pearson, I shall have to repri- 
mand you. You are working under my instruc- 
tions. I, bear in mind, hold a higher position 
over you, and you will have to explain to me 
the whys and wherefores of what you did, as 
you did not follow my directions." 

"I followed your instructions, sir, the best 
I could, after Pat spoke of a letter which was 
received here by you, written as a confession 
of the crime for which this poor fellow was 
doing time." 

"So your sympathies got such a hold over 
you that you use the expression 'poor fellow,' 
do you? My opinion is that the letter was a 
hoax to get sympathy for him while here. It 
was probably written by some friend of the 
man's on the outside." 

A voice said: "You are accusing my son 
wrongfully, and you must suffer for it." 

"My God! Did you hear that?" 

"Did I hear that? Yes, and I have heard 



SPIRITS DO RETURN. 93 

that and more so many times that I have be- 
come quite familiar with the voice and do not 
feel alarmed at hearing it. Tell me what it 
was — you!" 

'You, you, tell me what you think it was, 
and I will tell you something, then." 

'Well, sir, I am not going to try to express 
myself, for I can not do so, but I will go back 
to my part of the work." 

"You will remain here with me and express 
yourself as to what your belief is in regard to the 
mysterious voice we hear." 

"Come, quick!" 

It was Pat's voice. 

"Come quick! The fellow is talking him- 
self to death. I have bate him for half an hour 
and he is still talking, and devil a bit does he 
care for my bating." 

"I will leave you and go with Pat." 

"You will have to do something quick. He 
has disturbed the whole prison and the bating 
I gave him helped to excite the other prisoners' 
curiosity to know what the man was being 
baten for." 

"Right this way, I think, is the nearest, Pat. 
Avoid excitement as much as possible." 

"You will see the poor devil throwing his 



94 SPIRITS DO RETURN. 

hands and telling that he is not the murderer. 
And he is mumbling something about not going 
to be punished for a crime he never committed." 

"You in trouble again? Not satisfied with- 
out disturbing the prisoners as well as the 
officials?" 

"I beg your pardon, sir, I have been doing 
all I could do, and working, sir, since you placed 
me here. I felt a dizziness come over me. I 
don't know how long I stood before I regained 
myself." 

"Do you feel as if you had had a good 
beating?" 

"I? No, sir, I do not." 

"Then the devil take the man I will ever 
punish again," said Pat; "I 've been working 
myself out of breath bating him and then he 
stands up there and tells that he didn't know 
he got a bating." 

"You feel as if you could do the work, do 
you?" 

"I will try, sir. It is awful hard and I feel 
I haven't strength to last the day through, but 
I will go as long as I can." 

"Now, Pat, we will return to the office, and 
I want you to tell Mr. Pearson the trouble you 
had with this fellow, and while you are telling 



SPIRITS DO RETURN. 95 

him, and telling how quietly he was working, 
you as well as I will watch Mr. Pearson's face 
and see how much sympathy, if any, goes out 
to the prisoner." 

"Indade, your honor, I have noticed the 
sympathy shown to the prisoner by Mr. Pearson, 
while you were away. He even offered to ex- 
change coat and hat with the man, and job too." 

"Pat, are you telling me the truth? A man 
holding the position which Mr. Pearson does, 
making such sacrifices as that with a prisoner, 
and one who is here sentenced for the crime 
which he is? Now, before we go in, I caution 
you to be watchful. 

"Well, Mr. Pearson, a time we have had 
with the 78 convict, a murderer, and the worst 
hypocrite I ever saw." 

"You found things as Pat represented them, 
did you?" 

"No, I did not. The fellow was working 
very hard when we reached the place." 

"The same thing occurred with me. I once 
hastened to investigate and found him as you 
did, doing his duty. So, sometimes, we are not 
to judge the poor prisoner too harshly, for we 
are not always informed correctly." 

"I am here to speak for myself. I am the 



96 SPIRITS DO RETURN. 

one who has informed you, as well you know, 
and I will prove to you, your honor," said Pat, 
"that I gave the man a good bating." 

"Yes, that would not be hard for me to be- 
lieve You did that, but it would be hard to 
make me believe some of the reports that have 
been made against the prisoner." 

'You seem to take a deep interest in No. 
78. What is the secret, pray tell me?" 

" I have no secret, sir." 

a I have a secret which I shall tell some day, 
and you will believe me" a voice was heard to say. 



SPIRITS DO RETURN. 97 

CHAPTER X. 
Pat Allows the Prisoner to Escape. 

"I am going to leave you in charge of this 
place and I am going to investigate. I shall 
don a suit of one of the guards and follow this 
man around from morning until night and see 
if I will have any trouble with him. 

"Come along, Pat. Find me a club. That 
is about the first thing I shall have to do — use 
it on goodness knows whom. But someone is 
going to get a punishment from me." 

"If you find a job with the last fellow I had 
to bate, you will have a good job." 

"Now, Pat, did you notice any strange ac- 
tions about this mutt, Mr. Pearson? I did, and 
I am under the impression that some secret lies 
there, and the old saying is, ' Murder will out. ' : 

"You are not of the opinion that he is 
guilty of murder?" 

"I see, Pat, that you do not understand me. 
I believe that Mr. Pearson knows this convict, 
in some way that he does not care to tell. There 
is a mystery there." 

"Now, here is a club I have carried, and I 



98 SPIRITS DO RETURN. 

know a good one. And if you want two, here 
is another." 

"What would I do with two, Pat? One is 
all you can use at one time." 

"Well, I 'm thinking that if he had two 
clubs in his hands, as he was throwing them, 
I would never have been able to give him the 
bating I did." 

"I hope that I shall not have to use one, 
Pat, much less two. Now, I am going to take 
charge of the prisoner, and, Pat, as I shall be 
close to him all of the time, you had better 
drop around to the office quite often and see 
how Mr. Pearson is getting along." 

"I will do that, your honor." 

"You may go — no, I will go alone, as I will 
then be less liable to be noticed." 

"Very well. Good luck to you and your 
new job." 

"Now for the mystery to be solved," said 
the superintendent. "I shall follow that fellow 
until I satisfy myself who is right and who is 
wrong. And I shall find out if Pat is as faithful 
as he has been supposed to be. I feel that the 
accused man has someone to help him in all 
of this work, but who the helper is, that I 
should like to know." 



SPIRITS DO RETURN. 99 

As he approached the prisoner the super- 
intendent said: "I thought that I would take 
care of you for a while — or, at least, try to. I 
see that you are doing very nicely, and I am 
glad. I hope that you will try and live up to 
the rules. You may speak to me when spoken 
to, but do not speak without being spoken to." 

"I am going to pass by and take a peep at 
our new officer, and see how he likes his job," 
said Pat. "Well, be jabers, he is not here! 
Where in the deuce has he gone? Say, do you 
hear me? Shake this door if you do. Spake, 
and if you don't spake, spake anyway. 

"Well, I '11 have to find out if he has drew 
his wages and quit his job, without giving the 
firm notice. Hello! hello! Well, the only thing 
I can do is to go for the other fellow. I think 
he has got a key. Perhaps the next fellow that 
gets the job will be me. 

"What in the deuce do I see, away back in 
the corner? As sure as I am alive, it is him. 
Well, well, wake up ! You have got a easy job, 
I know, but I don't think you need to lay down 
and go to sleep by the side of it. 

"Well, I can't wake the poor devil, but I 
know someone who can. And I would hate to 
be in the poor devil's shoes if that one comes in 



ioo SPIRITS DO RETURN. 

and finds him slapin\ So here 's to the office 
and report, as I promised to do, if I lose my 
job by doing so. Someone is sure going to lose 
his job here, and that very shortly." 

"Well, Pat, what are you doing around here?" 
said the superintendent. "Why are you look- 
ing so excited? I am getting along fine here." 

"Well, I am not getting along fine there." 

"What is wrong, Pat?" 

"The fellow that you left in your office has 
laid down and gone to sleep on the job. And 
he locked the door before he did so. He was 
very careful that no one could get in or out." 

"Gone to sleep? And the door locked? 
Here, you watch this man and I will see what 
is the meaning of this." 

"If he don't get his nap out before the offi- 
cer gets there, it will be a pity." 

"Here! What is wrong, Mr. Pearson?" 

"Wrong? Nothing is wrong." 

"Where have you been?" 

"I have been here, sir, and very busy." 

"Now, Mr. Pearson, were you not asleep 
with the door locked on the inside?" 

" I am not guilty. Pat has been giving you 
some more reports — and false ones, if he has 
told you that I was sleeping. I have not felt 



SPIRITS DO RETURN. 101 

well, in the last thirty minutes. I felt a dizzi- 
ness come over me, but I feel all right now." 

"Do you know if you were asleep at any time, 
or in a faint, while you were feeling dizzy?" 

"I was not, sir. I was sitting at this desk, 
as you see me." 

"And I am being deceived by one in whom 
I have placed confidence. Pat is a good fellow. 
I can not believe that he would deceive me. 
Perhaps, after all, I had better watch him, as 
well as the other one," thought the superin- 
tendent. "I need help. I have too many to 
watch. I can not be here and there too, but I 
will stay by the prisoner until I have satisfied 
myself that he is right or wrong." 

" Come quick ! Help ! help ! The fellow has 
turned into a woman and it looks as if there 
were half a dozen people where he is," called 
Pat; "and he spakes like a woman. All he would 
have to do would be to put on a woman's clothes 
and you would let him pass out on her voice, be 
jabers! She might be cultivating the voice to 
make her get away, but when they get by Pat 
they will have to go when I am aslape, for I 
am not here to let anyone get away without 
their papers of freedom. You will have to come, 



102 SPIRITS DO RETURN. 

as the prisoners are killing time, listening to the 
lady speaking." 

" Now, office superior," said Mr. Pearson, 
"you have so much confidence in Pat, leave 
him in charge of the office, and I will go with 
you to see what is wrong with the prisoner — 78." 

"I will do that." 

"Pat, take care of this office until we return. 
Come along, Pearson. Make haste, this way." 

"Well, I felt all along I would be the man 
to fill this place, and some day this Irishman 
will be called the 'suppferior officer' around this 
prison. I hope they will succeed in finding the 
lady still talking — or the gentleman, whichever 
it is." 

"Well, officer, do you see anything wrong? 
The fellow is working." 

" I do not understand this, and no excitement 
among the prisoners." 

"Well, I say the trouble is in the false re- 
ports made by Pat." 

"We will go back to the office and I shall 
ask Pat to explain what he meant by causing 
all this excitement by false reports. Now that 
we are on the way back to the office, I want to 
talk to you about those mysterious voices. How 
do you account for them? Well, I was in hopes 



SPIRITS DO RETURN. 103 

you would be able to tell me something. What 
have you heard, Pearson?" 

"I have heard more than I care to hear 
again." 

"You are not frightened, are you?" 

"Well, I am not praying to hear any more 
of it." 

"I am going to say to Pat that he is not 
fooling anyone any more; the next time he 
comes with such stories, he will be sent back 
to take care of his own trouble. What, the 
office door open ? What does that mean ? Where 
is Pat?" 



io 4 SPIRITS DO RETURN. 

CHAPTER XL 

The Mystery Deepens. 

"I think Pat has left the place. After all 
his false reports, he will, or perhaps has, felt 
that he will be discharged, and will go before 
notice is given." 

"Here he comes. Well, Pat, what do you 
mean? Is that the way you do when trusted 
with the care of this office? Did I not say to 
you that I had all confidence in you? And 
now you have given me cause to doubt you in 
all things." 

"Your honor, would you have confidence in 
me at all if I would sit here and let the prisoners 
all walk out? Just about two minutes ago a 
lady came to the office and asked to come in. 
After I opened the door, she just walked right 
through the office and out of the door. I called 
to her to halt, and she did not stop, and I made 
a start for her, and in all my life I never saw 
a female get the space between her and me as 
she did." 

"Do you mean to tell me that you have let 
some of the prisoners get away?" 



SPIRITS DO RETURN. 105 

"I mane to tell you that the lady that came 
through that door got away — prisoner, or what- 
ever you may call her." 

"Pat, I am not going to discharge you now, 
for I shall have to see what convict it was and 
what was her sentence here. Then I shall be 
better able to deal with you. I am sorry, Pat, 
that you have proved to be such an untrust- 
worthy guard, and I, as well as Mr. Pearson, 
here, have found you to be misrepresenting 
things all along and causing any amount of 
trouble. Now you may go and do what the 
last orders gave you to do, and I will take care 
of my man. If you find any more strange 
things around here, don't come to me. I shall 
not go to investigate another call from you. 
Now go." 

"Your honor, I would like to spake a word 
in my own behalf. I am not as you have ex- 
pressed yourself that I was, untrustworthy. I 
will swear to my Father in Heaven that I have 
been honest, honest in all my actions, and when 
I called for help, you were informed right. I 
gave the correct reports, and I want to say now 
that if you have that kind of opinion of me, I 
will lave the prisoners and you may look for 
another Pat. I am not a thafe. If so, I would 



106 SPIRITS DO RETURN. 

be wearing the stripes instead of the blue, and 
I feel I have been misjudged. I hope that you 
will find out that Pat was just what you thought, 
true and trustworthy, and I will say to you 
that you had better keep an eye on your fellow- 
officer, Mr. Pearson. I feel that he has caused 
you to form the opinion you have." 

"Pat, go and do your duty, and all will 
work out right by and by." 

"I will, your honor; but whenever you want 
the club I carry, the same is yours for the ask- 
ing. I am ready to quit when I am not the 
gentleman I should be." 

"Pearson, have you ever had any trouble 
with Pat? 

"I have not." 

"I believe that you and he have not the 
best of feeling for each other. Can you explain 
the condition?" 

"I have no grievance against Pat. I do 
not understand why he should bring in such 
alarming reports, reports which on investiga- 
tion prove to be untrue, absolutely untrue, with 
no base or foundation whatever, and that is why 
I am not particularly fond of Pat." 

"It is all a very strange affair. During my 
absence did you have a conversation with Con- 



SPIRITS DO RETURN. 107 

vict 78? And what was the object of that con- 
versation? What was your reason for dismiss- 
ing Pat, after he had brought the convict in?" 

"I do not remember doing so." 

"I have been informed that you did. There 
should be no secrets among the officials and 
the prisoners." 

"/ am going to explain. I am the mother of 
these two boys, and the Prisoner 78 and my son 
Pearson, here, are brothers. Pearson knows that 
his brother is an innocent man, but is ashamed to 
acknowledge his brother. But the prisoner is as 
innocent as you, who are trying to punish him for 
a crime he never committed." 

"Do you hear that voice, Pearson?" 

"I do, but from whom does it come? There 
is no one here that I can see." 

" You will see me," the voice was heard to say. 

"'I will see you.' Did I hear that? Did 
you get that, officer?" 

"I did, and I heard more; I heard the same 
voice say that you and this man, Convict 78, 
were brothers. Did you hear that?" 

"I did." 

"Well—" 

"I am not sure of it. I only know that he 
carries my name, and his Christian name is the 



108 SPIRITS DO RETURN. 

same as that of a brother of mine whom I have 
not heard from in years. He ran away from 
home when a small boy, and we never heard 
from him afterward. We thought he was dead, 
as he never returned or wrote. Poor mother 
grieved herself to her grave for that lost, way- 
ward son. I remained home with her until 
she died." 

"And the estate — did you advertise for him?' 

"My father died when I was a small boy 
and left mother in good circumstances. I and 
this brother who left hom§ were the only heirs." 

"And you got the bulk of the estate? Did 
I understand you to say that you advertised 
for your brother?" 

"Well, you see, it was this way: not hear- 
ing from him for so many years, I decided that 
he was dead, and I did not think it worth 
while." 

"You are not sure that this is not your 
brother, then, Mr. Pearson?" 

"No, I am not sure." 

"Well, I will send for him and we perhaps 
may be able to find out by questioning him* 
Ring for Pat." 

Just then Pat, mumbling, "I will stroll 
around and see if the supperior officer has 



SPIRITS DO RETURN. 109 

changed his mind about me being a gentleman," 
appeared. 

"Here is Pat, now." 

"Pat, bring in No. 78, at once." 

"Whenever the man says 'Pat,' I know that 
78 is wanted. Well, if that don't bate anny- 
thing! I wonder now what he has done? I 
know that he has been good the last half-hour, 
for I have been watching him with my own 
very eyes, and devil take the one that has lied 
on him, now. Look at the poor fellow! He 
has the same feeling that I have. Every time 
he sees me coming he knows that he is wanted. 

"Well, you are wanted at the office, and come 
along quick, and have it over with. I feel very 
queer — I feel like I have ate a fly for my break- 
fast. Only a different feeling comes on a fellow 
so quick when something is going to happen, 
and you don't know what it is. 

"Your honor, do you want him now? If so, 
here he is." 

"If I did not want him, Pat, I should not 
have sent for him. You may be seated over 
there." 

"You see, the convict is sometimes treated 
with poor courtesy. Then I — I have not been 



no SPIRITS DO RETURN. 

asked to have a chair," Pat was mumbling to 
himself. 

The officer turned to the prisoner: 

"You are enrolled here in the name by 
which you were christened, are you not?" 

"I am, sir." 

"Clarence Pearson, is that your real name?' 3 

"It is, sir." 

"Do you remember anything about your 
people?" 

"I do, sir." 

"Tell me all you know about your family, 
and the number of children, brothers and sis- 
ters, and if your parents are living, and where 
you were born." 

"I was a small boy when I left home, many 
years ago. My father I don't remember much 
about. My poor dear mother has often told me 
that I was quite young at the time of his death. 
I have no sisters. I have one brother, who was 
at home when I left. I have since heard that 
my dear mother has died. After I heard that, 
I never had the heart nor courage to go home 
again." 

"Was your mother in comfortable circum- 
stances?" 



SPIRITS DO RETURN. in 

"Oh, yes, sir! My mother was a wealthy 
woman." 

"And you will swear that that is your name ?" 

"I will, sir." 

"Pat, you may take him back." 

" You will not close the iron doors behind my 
child again! He is far more a free man, or should 
be, than the one sitting there in silence" 

"Well, Pat, why don't you take him? He 
is ready." 

"So am I, but when you tell me to do a 
thing, and then tell me not to, how in the name 
of common sense do I know what to do?" 

"I have given you only one instruction, and 
that was to go." 

"Well, then, who the devil told me not to 
take him?" 

"Did you get such orders?" 

"I did." 

"When?" 

"Just now, and I got more than that." 

"What did you get?" 

"I heard a voice — where it came from I 
don't see, but my hearing is good — and this is 
what it said — I will look about me and see that 
I am not knocked down after I tell what I 
heard." 



ii2 SPIRITS DO RETURN. 

"Go on, and tell what you heard." 

"Faith, and I will tell every word of it. I 
heard — as you finished telling me to take him 
back — I heard a voice say: 'The doors will not 
close behind — " 

"I can't think what is the matter, Pat." 

"I am getting them. I will be a dead man, 
here, soon, like some of the other ones around 
here has been. Anyway, I didn't take the man 
back, did I?" 

"Pat, you are acting funny. What is the 
matter with you?" 

"Come along here!' I will lock you up if 
you are the guilty one." 

"Pat, you are not going to take Mr. Pear- 
son. He has not committed a crime." 

"I say, come along here! You are the thief, 
to rob your brother of all and then sit and let 
him suffer." 

"You are going mad, Pat. I shall have to 
call for help if you do not turn Officer Pearson 
loose." 

"Call for help. All the power you have in 
this prison could not conquer me." 

"I shall turn in a general alarm if you do 
not let him go." 

" Turn in your alarm. I am ready to fight 



SPIRITS DO RETURN. 113 

for my innocent son's freedom, and you too know 
that he is not a murderer, yet you sit there and 
allow him to suffer, and for another's crime. Here 
is the murdered woman standing here declaring 
his innocence — and the real murderer is her hus- 
band, and you have not made an effort to find 
him. Go look for him. Place my innocent boy 
in a closed room, if you like, but never behind 
bars. I will free him, as I have done all the time 
here, if you dare to place him behind bars again!" 

"You will fall, Pat. Sit down. Here, steady, 
now. Give me some water quick. Have some 
water, Pat. He looks so queer. Oh! you feel 
all right, Pat?" 

"I am not ailing. Why do you ask me if 
I feel all right? The only thing I see, I was 
standing up a while ago, and now I am sitting 
down." 

" Yes, Pat; you were acting very funny, and 
insisted on taking Officer Pearson to jail, in- 
stead of No. 78." 

" Faith, I think he will be there soon enough." 

"I don't understand you. I am going to 
make you suffer for that talk. I shall not al- 
low myself to be called a thief by my inferiors. 
I shall have a settlement with you, sir. Either 



ii4 SPIRITS DO RETURN. 

you or I will leave here, and I think that you 
will be the one to go." 

"Don't be too sure of that. You may be 
wearing stripes around here yourself, and I, the 
common Irishman, telling you what to do and 
throwing the bread and water at you." 

"Hey, Pat! What do you mean? Why are 
you doing all this talking? Are you accountable 
for what you are saying? I shall have to stop 
this talk at once. We are not in the habit of 
allowing our employees to talk in that manner." 

"I think that Pat has served his time here. 
He is beginning to think that he is the boss." 

"Well, I 'd like to say the same thing about 
you in regard to serving time, but I don't think 
you have started in on your time yet, and when 
your brother who is sitting here tells all he 
knows, you will be wearing his clothes and he 
will be wearing something better, for some of 
that money belonging to him which you have 
will enable him to do unto you as you should 
do unto him — and that is, help when in trouble." 

"Pat, I am speaking to you for the last 
time, and I shall have to discharge you if you 
do not quiet yourself." 

" You will not discharge him" 



SPIRITS DO RETURN. 115 

"Well, did you decide what to do? Shall 
I take 78 back?" 

"Pat, you talk and look and act quite dif- 
ferently now. What was wrong? Do tell." 

"I am just the same Irishman. Do you 
think I have changed in looks? I hope not, 
for who ever saw a homely Irishman?" 

"You did change in looks, but look all right 
now. Put the prisoner in the other office^ — 
No. 2. I may need him soon. Then you may 

go. 

"Well, Mr. Pearson, what does all this mean? 
I don't understand. But I shall not cease the 
investigation until I find out what is wrong." 

"You are paying too much attention to 
what Pat has been saying." 

"I am not referring to Pat's sayings. I am 
asking you, or will do so, to explain about this 
man bearing the same name and having the 
same birth-place and the same number in his 
family as you have told me that you have. 
Your statements were identical, and do you not 
know that this is your brother? I believe that 
he is, and why do you not want to acknowl- 
edge him, or find out whether he is guilty or 
innocent?" 

"How often, sir, do we meet men who have 



n6 SPIRITS DO RETURN. 

the same name as ourselves — many time the 
surname and the Christian name are the same. 
I am under the impression that this is one of 
those times." 

"And I am very sorry, Pearson, but I am 
thinking that, although it is very unfortunate 
for you, this is not an accident." 

"I do not understand you, sir." 

"Well, then, I will make it plainer. I think 
that the convict here is your brother, and you 
know it." 

"You are judging me too harshly. I am 
not deserving of that opinion from you.' 

"You must do something to prove your in- 
nocence; otherwise I shall notify the authorities 
and lay the circumstances before them." 

Pearson was silent. 

"You have my sympathy, but we should 
show no partiality in our dealings with our 
fellow-men. They must be treated fairly. Even 
prisoners must receive justice. I shall leave you 
to think this matter over, and you may report 
to me, later, how you feel about the matter." 

"I have nothing to think over and decide 
on. 

"Then you will acknowledge that you are 
his brother?" 



SPIRITS DO RETURN. 117 

"I may be, and if I am, I shall only be by 
birth. I shall never claim a murderer for a 
brother." 

" You are accusing him wrongfully. He is 
not a murderer." 

" Pearson, for God's sake, where did that 
voice come from?" 

"I can not tell." 

" Then I will show myself." 

"Mother, mother, mother! Help! help!" 

"Well, I have stayed away long enough. I 
think it 's about time they was doing something 
to the poor convict." It was Pat's voice, this 
time. "Perhaps I will be needed. I hear a 
call for help. I may find the whole bunch 
dead." 

"Come quick, Pat!" 

"What in the is the matter, now?" 

"I was talking to Pearson, and he threw 
up his hands and cried out, ' Mother!' three 
times, and called for help. He has fainted. 
You had better call a doctor, or go for one; 
the wires may be busy." 

"Yes, I think the wires is crossed at this 
end, and I am belaving someone will lose his 
job before they get them straightened, and if 
it is me, I am willing to go. Many a poor devil 



u8 SPIRITS DO RETURN. 

would be glad to lose his job here. I hope I 
find the doctor in and not busy. The poor 
officer may get tired laying in a fit so long." 

"Well, Pat, you have got another dead man 
for me to take care of, have you?" 

"That is what I came for, and you had 
better make it lively. The superior officer don't 
feel very comfortable over the affair." 

"You mean that I am wanted at the office?" 

"And I would not be saying so if you were 
not wanted." 

"Well, Pat, I sometimes think that you are 
like the Dutchman. I must take you as you 
mean, and not as you say." 

"You had better get a move on you, for I 
mane it." 

"You are walking so fast I can not keep up." 

"Indade, he told me to go for you because 
I go faster than the wires, and I want to keep 
up my reputation with the boss." 

"You are trying to make a record for your- 
self, are you?" 



SPIRITS DO RETURN. 119 



CHAPTER XII. 

m 

Another Dead Man. 

As the two entered the office the superin- 
tendent exclaimed: "You are slow about get- 
ting here. I believe Mr. Pearson is dead." 

"I hope not," replied the doctor; "but I 
will see in a moment." Then: " Pulsation very 
weak. Did he complain of feeling ill before he 
collapsed?" 

"No, doctor; only some excitement and — " 

"He seems to have been affected very deeply 
from it. I am alarmed." 

"Do you think that we should send for more 
help?" 

"I am not of the opinion that they could 
do any more than I am doing." 

"You are going to need the stretcher." 

"To the 78 cell, doctor! And a stretcher 
to carry out the dead live ones!" 

"Pat, step inside and see what is the matter 
with No. 78. I hear a noise." 

"I am going to have the club ready. I am 
not feeling very good, and I don't think it would 
take much to get me — bated." 



i2o SPIRITS DO RETURN. 

"Now, doctor, I have a secret to tell you. 
I have been mistrusting a convict's relationship 
to an employee of this office, and I have asked 
him for a complete explanation of the affair, 
I understand that he has shown some favors 
to the convict in my absence. And I can not, 
for the life of me, explain what the voices are 
that we hear in this office, at times, pertaining 
to this officer. He and I were here talking the 
matter over, and I asked him if he did not 
know this man was his brother. He said that 
he did not. At that moment we heard a voice, 
mC I will show you!' and a terrible scream came 
from him, and as he looked up he called his 
mother three times for help, and fell as you see 
him." 

"I have witnessed many fainting spells, but 
never did I find the pulse in such a condition." 

"Officer," came the voice of Pat, "I am 
having a picnic, hearing the prisoner talk in 
his sleep, and with his eyes open. Would you 
mind coming in and getting some of the news" ' 

"You may go," said the doctor; "I will take 
care of the patient. There is nothing that you 
can do." 

"Very well, I will see what is wrong. 



SPIRITS DO RETURN. 121 

"Well, Pat, you seem to be having a free 
entertainment." 

"You will have to name it. I call it a treat 
to see a fellow talk asleep and standing, with 
his eyes open all the time he is sleeping." 

"What is he talking about?" 

"Listen, for yourself. He is going on so 
fast I can't run and keep up." 

"/ am telling you I am innocent. I did not 
murder ', and I am not guilty *, and my brother who 
was in a faint is all right now, and I am the spirit 
of the mother of those two boys — my sons, and I 
have been the mysterious one whose voice you have 
heard here trying to tell you and help my son out 
of this trouble. I have to explain this by inspir- 
ing my son, as I am doing now, and I can do so, 
as you see. And I have brought the woman who 
was murdered with me, and she is here to say 
that she was strangled to death by her husband, 
not by my son. My son is not guilty of that 
crime, and I want you to take this name and ad- 
dress which she will give me, and send for the 
real murderer. His name is Robert Devenart, and 
Mrs. Devenart is here to tell you all about the 
crime, and I will repeat the words after her: 

"'I was strangled to death, not by this man 
here, but by my husband. I will tell all. I was 



122 SPIRITS DO RETURN. 

having trouble with him and as he threatened me 
I screamed, and the door opened, and this man, 
whom I knew slightly, entered and asked if he 
could be of any assistance. I tried to be brave, 
and told him that I did not need any assistance. 
He left, with an apology for intruding. Then my 
husband clutched me by the throat and choked me 
to death. Turn this man out and bring the real 
murderer in. Your officer is all right. I will 
go now.'" 

"Very well, doctor. 
"Do you feel all right, Pearson?" 
"I am all right. I '11 just step out for some 
fresh air." 

"I am not satisfied to think that he was in 
a faint, officer. I have never come in contact 
with anything like it in my whole experience 
as a physician. You had hardly left the room 
until he opened his eyes and looked around." 

"Had it not been for the fact that I might 
have missed some of the words that were being 
spoken, I should have called you, doctor. I 
stepped into the room, and there he — the pris- 
oner, I mean — was standing, talking, his eyes 
open and apparently he was himself. I in- 
quired of Pat what was wrong, and he — the 
prisoner — answered by saying,' I am not guilty.' 



SPIRITS DO RETURN. 123 

The murderer's name was given, and many 
more things were said, which I dare not men- 
tion now." 

"Here is Pat." 

"Well, give me my time. I am a brave 
Irishman, I can bate a fellow to death if need 
be, but I am not brave enough, when the dead 
come around and talk to me, to stick around 
any longer. Faith, I did not see anything, but 
I surely heard, and I know that I will fall dead 
if I ever see one of the dead ones walking 
around here." 

"Pat, I can not give you your time. You 
are needed here. Go along and do your duty, 
and I will send for you if you are wanted." 

"I hope you will never send for me if the 
dead want me." 

"Pat is a good, trusty fellow, and, doctor, 
I am glad I can make a confidant of you in this 
matter. I am given the address of a person. 
I am going to write at once to the proper au- 
thorities and see if they can find the name, a 
very strange name. I never heard it before. 
I don't think they can get the wrong fellow if 
they find one by that name." 

"I would advise you to investigate, officer. 
People are oftentimes innocent, although ap- 



124 SPIRITS DO RETURN. 

parently proved guilty by law, and I am preju- 
diced against circumstantial evidence. Many 
poor men are serving time because of that kind 
of evidence." 

"/ am going to thank you — " 

"Did you speak? Did you?" 

"No, doctor. You have heard some of that 
voice which we hear so often. Can you explain ? " 

"No, sir; and I do not intend to stay in 
here to hear any more of it, or to try to explain 
it. Good-bye." 

"Good-bye, doctor.". 

"I am going to ask you to allow me a vaca- 
tion, officer. I am not feeling very well." 

"Mr. Pearson, I have some very important 
work to do in the next few days, and I shall 
need you badly." 

"I should like to leave by the first of the 
week, if possible." 

"It is more than likely that you can do so. 
You have nothing more to say in regard to the 
affair of which we were talking?" 

"I have not. I do not feel that this man 
is any relation to me, therefore I am not going 
to bother anything about him." 

"What was your birth-place, Pearson?" 

"I have secrets of my own. I don't think 



SPIRITS DO RETURN. 125 

that you or anyone should ask about them, 
and I refuse to tell you. I am not being tried 
for any crime. I do not have to answer your 
questions. 95 

"Very well. You may go back to your old 
position. I shall look after the office. Say, 
Pearson ! Here ! You may take along the pris- 
oner here. I don't care to have him in this 
room, keeping me alert at every noise." 

To the prisoner Pearson said: "Come. I 
will put you in your cell." 

"I am willing to go — to do anything that 
you request me to do." 

"Clarence — did I understand you to say 
that was your name?" 

"Yes, sir." 

"Here is your cell. Step in. I will also go 
in. I want to talk to you. Clarence, do you 
remember anything about your old home, and 
your brothers and sisters, and your father and 
mother?" 

"I have no father — he died when I was a 
small boy, and sisters I have none. I have one 
brother." 

"What was your father's name? Of course, 
I know it was Pearson, but what was his Chris- 
tian name — or have you forgotten it?" 



126 SPIRITS DO RETURN. 

"I have not forgotten anything about my 
home. I remember all very well. It seems only 
yesterday, I have such a vivid recollection of all. 
My brother's name was William 0. Pearson." 

"What was the 0. for?" 

"For Oliver, and I often called him by that 
name. You have such a strange way of looking 
at me, officer. Do you not believe me?" 

"Yes, Clarence, I believe you. I am going 
to tell you why I look at you so strangely. You 
are my brother, and I am going to make this 
right with you, if you will change your story 
and say that you changed your name when you 
got into this trouble — or, rather, that you have 
gone under an assumed name since you com- 
mitted this crime. If you will do as I say, at 
the end of your term, I will give you five thous- 
and dollars — when you walk out of this place 
a free man." 




'I[do not want your money." 



SPIRITS DO RETURN. 129 

CHAPTER XIII. 

An Attempt to Bribe the Prisoner. 

"I have been a wanderer, and have eaten 
many a back-door hand-out, but I have never 
stolen nor murdered. I did not commit this 
crime. You, my brother, are free, and have 
money to bribe me with, and yet you do not 
care enough for your own flesh and blood to look 
up the real murderer. I do not want your money. 
I have two strong arms, and can work, as I 
have always done." 

"Then you would work all your life, a poor 
man, rather than accept a little bribe, would 
you?" 

"Yes, under the circumstances, I would. I 
feel that in the end I will be better prepared to 
meet my dear mother, when called home, than 
you will be. Did I not have something coming 
to me from the estate? My mother was a 
wealthy woman when I left home." 

"Well, we had many reverses in business af- 
fairs, and she died practically a poor woman." 

"I may be spared to live my sentence here 
if I am not found innocent and discharged, and 



130 SPIRITS DO RETURN. 

then I shall return to the old home and investi- 
gate affairs and see if I am not entitled to a 
share in my dear mother's estate." 

"Why can you not believe me? I have ex- 
plained. She died practically a poor woman." 

"You are not a poor man, are you, brother ?'' 

"Well, I have a comfortable home." 

"Is that all you have?" 

"I do not feel disposed to explain everything 
to you." 

Where were you to get the five thousand 
dollars to bribe me with? Have you got that 
much money besides your comfortable home?" 

"I shall have ten years to get that." 

"Oh! you are buying me to commit a crime 
and have no money to give me after I have done 
so?" 

"As I have stated, you are here for ten 
years. At the time of the expiration of your term 
I would in all probability have that amount." 

"May I ask you why you wish me to deny 
my name?" 

"Well, Clarence, I am holding a good posi- 
tion here, and I could not, perhaps, if it were 
known that I had a brother inside of these 
walls. Besides, I have a family in society, and 
it would injure them if this should all come out." 



SPIRITS DO RETURN. 131 

" You are thinking of yourself and your fam- 
ily and society, and not once have you given 
your poor brother a thought of sympathy. And 
he is innocent of crime." 

"I am trying to help you. Have I not of- 
fered you five thousand dollars at the end of 
your term?" 

"You are not helping me. No, sir. I have 
registered under my own name, given me by my 
dear parents, and I have no cause to disown it. 
I did nothing to disgrace it, and I am not going 
to be tempted with your money." 

"I am sure that you will regret this, Clar- 
ence. I would favor you in many ways while 
you were serving your sentence." 

" Could you not do so, as you are one of 
the officials, without my doing as you wish me 
to do?" 

"Well, no. I should be suspected." 

"Then how could you do so if I did as you 
request me to do — disown my name?" 

"Well, well!" 

'You are doing wrong, Oliver, to try to get 
me in deeper instead of helping me out. Why 
don't you go out and look up the real murderer 
and prove your brother innocent? I am quite 



i 3 2 SPIRITS DO RETURN. 

sure I should not disgrace you if it were proved 
that I had been sent here an innocent man." 

"You see, after one has been behind prison 
bars, he is always looked down upon by the 
public." 

"But not in the eyes of God. He knows the 
guilty from the innocent." 

"Then you feel that you would rather stay 
in prison and work ten years, and go out a broken 
man and penniless, than to receive five thousand 
dollars, as I have promised you?" 

"If I have to lie forit, I '11 take the poverty 
and peace of mind." 

"I am sorry for you, Clarence, and I shall 
return and have another talk with you some 
day. Perhaps you will change your mind. 
Good-bye." 

"I thank you, brother, for the word spoken 
just now. Yes, my brother, you have a com- 
fortable home and a family in society, and an 
innocent brother in prison for ten years." 

"You have the habit of talking to yourself, 
have you?" It was Pat who spoke. 

"It helps a fellow, Pat, sometimes, when 
alone, to talk to himself." 

"I am sure I heard two voices in here. I 
was after looking for a convict who occupied 



SPIRITS DO RETURN. 133 

the next cell, 79, and I felt rather uneasy about 
you, and I thought I would see what you were 
doing, and I heard a very strange conversation 
in here/' 

"Pat, did you hear all that was said?" 
"Sure I did. What was I listening for if not 
to hear what was said?" 

"And did you see anyone leave here?" 
"Sure I did. When I see a man passing this 
way, I looked to find if he was a broke-away." 

"And will you — " 

"I will keep my mouth shut until I have to 
open it." 

"And would you tell all you heard?" 

"Indade I would. Well, I think I will be 
going along. I will stroll by the office and see 
if he looks any the better off since he could not 
get rid of his five thousand dollars." 

"Pat, you always come just in time. Take 
this letter to the office. I want it to go out on 
the first mail. If I wait for it to be taken up, 
it would not get off on the first mail. Make 
haste, as I am quite anxious for this to go." 

"You can depend on it going if I have to 
take the train and carry it myself." 

To himself: "Well, I wonder what the rush 



134 SPIRITS DO RETURN. 

was. I will pick up the torn pieces when I get 
the chance, and see what this means." 

"Mr. Pearson/' said the superintendent, "I 
am called to attend to some business affairs. 
I shall leave you in charge of the office. I may 
not return until late." 

"Very well, sir." 

"Well, I just made the train. The next 
time I would like a few minutes to think be- 
tween this place and the train. I never went 
so fast in all my life. I would be a good mes- 
senger. I could get the bad news to them in 
a hurry, as all of the confounded things have 
bad news in them. 

; ' There comes Pat. I will give him the order 
I left with Pearson. 

"Pat, I am going on some business, and I 
want you to put all of those torn pieces of paper 
in the fire and burn them up. I do not want 
anyone to see them. I made some errors and 
re-wrote the letter," said the superintendent. 

"Now you have gone," said Pearson, "I will 
take care of those torn pieces of paper. Here 
is an envelope addressed to the place where 
Clarence committed the murder, and here is 
all of the letter. Now I '11 see what was the 
cause for rush." 



SPIRITS DO RETURN. 135 

The letter ran as follows: 

"I am writing you for help in looking up 
the case of a convict by the name of Clarence 
Pearson. I have every reason to believe that 
he is innocent of the crime for which he is serv- 
ing sentence. Wire me if you have a name in 
the directory of your city like this: Devenart. 
If there is such a man, hold him for murder." 

"My God!" gasped Pearson. "What does 
this mean? I am lost. I feel that they will 
find him innocent, and I guilty of crime; and 
I have sworn to the death of Clarence, so 
that I might receive his share of the estate. 
Now it is all to come out." 

"Well," said Pat, "I met the officer, and 
he told me to clean up around and destroy the 
papers he has written on, and I don't see any." 

"I had nothing to do and I put things in 
order," said Pearson. 

"Where did you throw the scraps?" 

"I put them in the fire." 

"Did you lave the office to do it?" 

"No, I did not leave the office." 

"Then where is the fire you put them in? 
I was told to burn them and I must obey orders. 
If you did not burn them, I will be after do- 
ing it." 



136 SPIRITS DO RETURN. 

"You are always meddling in someone's af- 
fairs, Pat. You go along. I am taking care 
of this place." 

"And I 'm thinking you are taking care of 
some things in this place — at least, I would like 
to see those torn pieces of paper/ 5 

"You may go to No. 78's cell and see if he 
wants to come here. I would like to talk with 
him. Perhaps I can get some idea of the kind 
of work he could do." 

"I will obey you. Now it is up to the poor 
convict to take his choice of work. And if he 
plases to come, he can." 

To the prisoner: "Well, are you asleep? 
Would you like to take a walk over to the of- 
fice? Now, you don't have to go if you don't 
want to." 

"I am willing, Pat, to do anything I am asked 
to do." 

"You are very obliging. I 'm sure I would 
be plased if all the convicts would be as agreea- 
ble as you." 

"You may bring him in, Pat, and then go 
to your work. I shall not need you any more 
at present," said Pearson. 

"I '11 go, but devil a bit will I work. I don't 



SPIRITS DO RETURN. 137 

think annyone needs me now, and I '11 just sit 
down here until someone does need me." 

" Clarence, you have been thinking this over, 
have you — what we were talking about? I 
hope you will be sensible now, and make up 
your mind to do as I want you to." 

"You want me to swear that I am not Clar- 
ence Pearson?" 

"Yes. You will be helping yourself by so 
doing." 

"Well, then, I will." 

"That will help you to look forward for 
something to live on ten years from now." 

"Well, what can I do to help you out of 
your trouble?" 

"My trouble? I am not in trouble." 

"You are not worried over my not doing 
as you requested me to do?" 

"No. Only for your own good." 

"Then tell me, if I change my mind when 
the time comes to deny it, what harm could it 
do you?" 

"I should have to — " 

"Finish what you were going to say." 

" I '11 tell you all, Clarence, if you will prom- 
ise me that you will do as I want you to." 

"Well, tell me, brother." 



138 SPIRITS DO RETURN. 

"I am going to make a clean breast of it all." 

"I think I had better be getting up closer," 
whispered Pat. "I may think I 'm hearing and 
not hear, for I am looking for the poor devil to 
tie a noose around his neck before he gets 
through with the clean breast he spoke of." 

"Go on, Oliver; tell me. You are talking 
to your brother. You need not fear my be- 
traying you — never, Oliver!" 

"You left home, Clarence, when a small 
boy. You never wrote and poor mother and I 
mourned you as dead. Years afterward mother 
died, and, not knowing where you were, I was 
called upon to swear that you were dead, and 
I did so. In that way I fell heir to all of the 
estate, which was numbered in the hundred 
thousands. And, not knowing of your where- 
abouts, I decided to invest it, and I lost it all, 
except what I have told you of." 

"I do not see the point in your demanding 
that I deny my name." 

"Do you not see that I have sworn falsely 
to obtain the money, and you know that places 
me just where you are to-day, Clarence." 

"Only you are guilty, Oliver, and I am not." 

"I belave I 'd better not listen anny more. 
I am knowing too much. I may not be able 




"i BELAVE I'D BETTER NOT LISTEN ANNY MORE." 



SPIRITS DO RETURN. 141 

to hold anny more in me head, for I have it 
crammed full now, and I have got to keep it 
there till I can let it out, a little at a time, and 
it takes a man a long time to tell the judge and 
keep from telling what he don't want to." 

" I know that I am guilty, but you can save 
me if you will." 

"Brother Oliver, I am sorry for you and I 
will do all I can for you. I will do as you have 
asked me to do." 

"Thanks, dear brother. And I shall be a 
brother to you while your are in prison." 

"Now I think they have all the secrets told, 
and I '11 walk around and see if I can persuade 
the officer to tell me where the fire was. He 
was so obliging to do my work for me," mum- 
bled Pat. 

"Come along, Pat; you may take the fellow 
back," called Mr. Pearson. 

Pat to himself: "Oh! he is being called a 
6 fellow,' is he? If I bring him here to the 
office many more times, he will be a gentleman, 
not a convict." 

Aloud: "Come along here! Back to your 
resting-place. Indade, that is all you have done 
lately — rest." 

The acting superintendent mused: "Now 



i 4 2 SPIRITS DO RETURN. 

that Clarence is going to deny his name, I can 
see my way out of this. I shall not take my 
vacation now. I must stay and see this thing 
through. So my superior officer has written to 
where the murder was committed and asked 
for a wire in answer. And we may look for 
one to-morrow, as the letter went out on the 
early train. It will be received in the morning, 
and a wire will be received some time in the 
evening." 

"Well, 'fellow/ here is your place to rest till 
I come for you, and you may look for me soon, 
at that/' remarked Pat as he placed the prisoner 
in his cell. 



SPIRITS DO RETURN. 143 

CHAPTER XIV. 

The Convict's Prayer. 

As the superintendent entered the office on 
his return he said to Pearson: "I am back. 
I have been looking up some of your history 
in the past." 

"I do not understand you, officer." 
"You will, however." 

"Why are you looking up my reputation?" 
" I have every cause to do so. I see that you 
have the same name as the convict, or he has 
the same name as you have. Of course that 
is nothing unusual, for two men often have the 
same family name, and even Christian name; 
but you are favoring this prisoner in many ways, 
which looks suspicious. I have never noticed 
that you favored other prisoners, and I do not 
believe that you would do so without some 
secret reason, in this case. 

"I have only tried to treat him humanely." 

"I see the humane part of it, Pearson." 

"I think I will walk around and see how 

the fellow is looking after he has spent this 

five-thousand-dollar bribe and got the poor con- 



144 SPIRITS DO RETURN. 

vict to deny his own name. I wonder what he 
will take for a name if he denies the one he 
has got. For the love of Mike, I hope it won't 
be Pat! Indade, I don't want to have a name 
like annyone of the prisoners in here, and, thank 
God! the place has no Pats. An Irishman is 
too slick to come here against his own free will." 

Pat was approaching the office. 

"Well, officer, you back?" 

"I am back, Pat. 

"You may go, Pearson. I will send for you 
when I need you." 

"And if you knew all I know, you would 
need him now, before he went." 

"Well, Pat, have you done anything with 
Prisoner 78?" 

" I ? No, sirree; he is a 'fellow'— a pet around 
here, he is." 

"What do you mean, Pat — a 'fellow,' 'pet' ?" 

"Well, your honor, I never was a tell-tale, 
and I don't want to begin now." 

"Do you know anything, Pat, that I should 
know?" 

"I think if you knew all I do, you would 
have another prisoner in here to feed." 

"I have always trusted you, Pat. Can not 
you now trust me?" 



SPIRITS DO RETURN. 145 

"Sure I can trust you, but what about the 
other fellow. Can I trust him?" 

"I will take care of that part of it if you 
will tell me what you know, Pat." 

"I am going to think it over myself a while. 
I don't like to report too many times, for fear 
I don't get it the same each time-" 

"You may not have to repeat, Pat." 

"I hope not, for I feel sorry for the poor 
man, to think he has no feeling." 

"You would just as well tell all you know. 
I am investigating, as it is, and I think along 
those lines, and ' murder will out,' you know." 

"And some things will out themselves, as 
well as murder." 

"Pat, in justice to yourself, you will have 
to tell me what you know. Here comes Pear- 
son. I will hear what you have to say later. 
You may go." 

"I am going to remain on guard to-night, 
officer, and I shall not be in the office. I speak 
of this so that you will not keep late hours 
for me." 

"Very well, Pearson." 

"I wonder what he is up to now," thought 
the superintendent. "I must be on guard my- 
self to-night, and I must remain where I can 



146 SPIRITS DO RETURN. 

watch cell No. 78. It is now ten-thirty o'clock — 
a good hour to lock up the office. I '11 walk 
quietly to cell 77 — it is empty to-night — and 
I may know more in the morning than I do 
to-night. Here comes Pat. I will tell him to 
keep watch on the office to-night, for emergency 
calls. He can hear the bells ringing, and if — 
well, by George! I'd rather Pat would not 
know where I am. I '11 have to take the chances 
of the bells ringing. I may hear them if they 
do. It is not a great distance to the office." 

"Your honor, I 'm thinking of going to my 
bed. I am top-heavy, and would like to lay 
me down for a while. I think it would do me 
good. Too much to carry around, and too good 
to let it get away." 

"All right, Pat; you may go." 

To himself: "Now I shall learn something 
for myself. I 'd better disguise myself, for fear 
of meeting Pearson. I '11 put on this slouch 
hat. He would not recognize me in that; a 
hat changes one's looks sometimes so that even 
close friends could not be recognized. 

"Hark! I hear voices! I believe it is Pear- 
son's voice in cell 78. I must be very quiet. 
Sure enough! Now I shall find out for myself." 

" I will try, Clarence, to favor you in having 



SPIRITS DO RETURN. 147 

you placed in a position where you can make 
your get-away, and I will give you money to 
go on. Would you go if that opportunity pre- 
sented itself?" 

" Oliver, what do you mean ? Are you trying 
to get me here for the rest of my life ? I would 
not be here at all if you would do for me what 
a brother should do." 

"I am trying to help you, Clarence, and you 
won't let me." 

"I don't want your help, if I have to get it in 
that way. Why don't you do unto me as you 
would have me do to you?" 

" I have a family and they are in society, and 
I am not so free to go as you are, and if this 
comes out, I may have to remain here, but 
not by choice." 

"Can't you see the trouble I 'm in?" 

" I can see if you would get out of here and 
they could not find you, then they would drop 
it all, and you would be a free man and so 
would I." 

"If I were to do as you want me to, where 
could I go and what could I do? I have no 
money." 

"Did I not say that I would help you? You 
an leave the city and I will send you money 



148 SPIRITS DO RETURN. 

under an assumed name. I can take care of 
you." 

"You are looking out for yourself, I know, 
Oliver. If you had not stolen all my part of 
the estate, you would not be here this hour of 
the night, talking to me. You have no brotherly 
love for me, or you would get me out and prove 
to the world that I am innocent, and take me to 
your comfortable home as a long-lost brother. 
I would not disgrace your society family. My 
mother was a good woman, and if I did fail to 
get the education I should have received, I have 
a good, pure heart in me, and am one that has 
always tried to do right and will do so as long 
as I live. It is not always the one, Oliver, who 
had the advantages, who has the best education, 
that is the purest. I am at fault for not having 
an education, I know, for I ran away from home 
when I was a boy, but I have never committed 
a crime, as you have done." 

"You are not looking at this as you should. 
I am going to say to you that if you fail to do 
as you promised me you would — if you do not 
deny your name — I will murder you." 

"Then you would murder me for wealth and 
society, would you, Oliver?" 

"I would." 



SPIRITS DO RETURN. 149 

"Then what would you do? You could not 
enjoy either." 

"I might say you were disobedient and that 
I had to kill you. You know how much trouble 
you have caused since you were here, and it 
would be no trouble for me to get out of it. 
So this is your warning. Now remember, I am 
leaving you for the last time, to think this over, 
and I want your answer to-day. It will soon 
be daylight. I must not be seen in your cell. 
Think this over well." 

"And so my brother threatens to kill me if 
I do not commit a crime! And I must think 
this over and let him know to-day! Well, I 
could let him know now. I will not leave these 
prison walls without the proper orders, and I 
am afraid to say as much to him," said the 
prisoner aloud. "What shall I do? To tell 
what he has done would mean a term for him 
in this very prison, and not to tell means death 
to me. Oh! what shall I do? Pray? Yes, 
pray that dear mother will come to me and 
help me; that she will not allow her honored 
son to murder her dishonored son, as he threat- 
ened to do. He said that mother mourned me 
as dead. Oh, if I had only died before all this 
happened! I am going to pray for help from her 



ISO SPIRITS DO RETURN. 

now — not for material help; I do not want any 
money or sympathy in poverty, I only want 
help from Heaven to know what to do. I shall 
kneel on this cold, hard floor and pray. 

" Father above, I am not a murderer, as Thou 
knowest. I ask forgiveness for the sins that I 
have committed, for we all sin, though often un- 
intentionally. O Father in Heaven, I ask that 
the spirit of my dear mother may be allowed to 
return to earth and watch over me, that her 
son Cain may not slay Abel. And, O dear Fa- 
ther, I am here for another's crime, as Thou, 
blessed Father, knowest. I pray that I may be 
helped — not to be freed from here until it is 
proved to the world that I am innocent. I feel 
my dear mother's presence near me. Oh, how 
grateful I am ! Now, dear Father, give me help 
to show the one who has given me so short a 
time to pray the right way. The time is near 
when I must decide between life and death. 
Thou knowest best. I trust Thee to look after 
me in this hour of need. And, O dear Father, 
help my brother, that he may know and do the 
right. Forgive him, Father, and lead him. Go 
with each of us in our humble way. May we 
ever feel Thy presence near us. May holy angels 
hover around us and help and comfort us in 



SPIRITS DO RETURN. 151 

this time of need. May we feel their presence. 
I ask this from a heart filled with faith, hope, 
and love. Amen." 

The trembling voice was silent. The heart 
of the superior officer went out in sympathy to 
the poor, abused convict who had the strength 
to resist temptation, and who could yet forgive 
his selfish, wicked brother. 



152 SPIRITS DO RETURN. 

CHAPTER XV. 
" Thank God, He Is Innocent!" 



U 1 



'Well, I have been repaid for this night's 
work. I must get back to the office, before 
I am seen coming from this cell," said the 
official. 

"Good morning, sir." 

"Good morning, Pearson. You are looking 
tired. Have you had a hard night of it?" 

"Yes; I am trying to unravel a mystery, 
and I am somewhat worried." 

"So am I, Pearson. I am trying to look 
into the past life of this prisoner, No. 78. I 
want to see if he has been a bad fellow. I 
am under the impression that he is not guilty 
of the crime for which he is being punished; he 
seems so honest about his past, and he has even 
given his real name, and that is some proof that 
he is no crook, or murderer. He would surely 
deny his name if he were either, and I feel it 
my duty to look into this whole affair." 

"Well, officer, I am under the impression that 
he has registered under an assumed name — that 
he is holding back his real name." 



SPIRITS DO RETURN. 153 

"Why have you formed such an impression?" 

"Well, I have a feeling that he will tell his 
real name if pressed to do so." 

"I will send for him and we can press him 
for the truth." 

Pat's voice was heard as he approached, say- 
ing: "I wonder what this day will bring forth. 
Here I am, walking to the office. I have a feel- 
ing that it is time the ' pet-fellow 5 had a little 
exercise, and I must be there in case I 'm 
needed." 

"There you are, Pat. You are always on 
hand when you are needed. You may bring 
No. 78 into the office." 

"I am getting to be a fortune-teller indade. 
I can tell when I am wanted without being 
told. Here, you 'pet-fellow' ! Wake up ! I am 
going to take you for your morning's walk." 

"I am very willing to go." 

"I am quite sure that you will go, willing 
or not. When I am told to do anything, I 
usually do it. Here we are." 

"Bring him in, Pat." 

"Plase open the door. How do you expect 
me to do — break in?" 

"The night lock is thrown on, officer. How 
did that happen? We never do so unless we 



154 SPIRITS DO RETURN. 

all go inside of the prison. Were you in the 
prison last night?" 

"We will discuss that later. We have sent 
for the prisoner and he is here. Let him in." 

"You may go, Pat. We have some inves- 
tigations to make, and we prefer to be alone." 

Pat went, out, remaining within hearing and 
saying: "Here is a very comfortable seat. I 
will sit meself down and I won't have to walk 
so far when I come back." 

"Now, did I understand you — No. 78 I am 
speaking to — did I understand you to say that 
you have given your real Christian name, and 
surname also, to be recorded in the prison 
books?" 

"Well, I have been thinking." 
"About changing your name?" 
"How do you know that, sir?" 
"Mr. Pearson has told me so." 
"He told you so?" 
"Do you deny it — can you, will you?" 

"My God! what shall I do? You have told 
him all?" 

"I have told him nothing." 
"Pearson, why are you so excited?" 
"I am astonished at your falsehood." 



SPIRITS DO RETURN. 155 

"And you may be more astonished before 
I get through with you. 

"Come, did I understand you to say — or 
have you answered me? Do you hear me speak- 
to you?" 

"I do, sir. Well, then, 1 will have to be 
protected if I tell the truth." 

"From whom?" 

"Oh, man! can not you see the danger I 
am in?" 

"You in danger? Explain in what way. 
With your God, for swearing to falsehoods, or 
from your fellow-man?" 

"I have not deceived my God." 

"Then you have given your own real name?" 

"I will tell you. I have." 

"So you want protection, now you have told 
the truth? Give me the name of your enemy." 

"Officer, can you not relieve me of this tor- 
ture? Can you not see?" 

"Yes, I think I can. 

"Well, Pearson, do you think you could 
rest comfortably behind the bars for a few 
hours?" 

" I ? What do you mean ? " 

" I mean that you have been trying to bribe 
this man to disown his name. Now I am not 



156 SPIRITS DO RETURN. 

in the dark. I understand it all, and I am 
going to make a clean breast of it. I shall 
send him back to his cell, and send you to 
another one." 

"I '11 just get up and stretch myself. I may 
have to use my muscles, and club too," com- 
mented Pat. "I hope he will like his new 
home." 

"You must have good hearing, Pat," said 
the official. "I was just going to ring for you. 
You must hear my thoughts. You may take 
No. 78 back, and rettirn at once." 

"I will, your honor. 

"Walk up fast, 'pet.' I am going to fill 
the order to a minute, and I will sure be proud 
to see him leaving me alone for a while. Here 
we are. Get in gently, 'pet.' I '11 be closing 
the door aisy, to not shock you. Now I must 
be bating it back to the office to get the other 
man." 

"Well, Pearson, 'murder will out." 

"I have not murdered anyone, and why 
should you talk to me in that way?" 

" I don't think that your brother has, either." 

"My brother!" 

"Yes, your brother. Do you not know that 



SPIRITS DO RETURN. 157 

the convict is your brother? If you do not, 
I do." 

"We have the same name Is that any 
reason why we should be brothers?' 

"Not because you have the same name, no; 
but in this case the two men who bear the same 
name are brothers." 

"Tell me, why am I to be placed behind 
the bars?" 

"So that you may not kill your brother." 

"Man! I 'm not going behind the bars on 
any such freak ideas as yours. I shall not be 
disgraced by a prisoner who has no cause to 
fear me, just because he has a name like mine 
and makes the statement that he fears me." 

"You understand it all. Pearson, here is 
Pat. You may occupy cell No. JJ> next to 
that of your brother. 

"Come along, Pat. Take charge of Mr. 
Pearson, here. 

"Give me your arms, officer." 

"I will never do so, not as long as I have 
a drop of blood in my body. I shall not give 
up my arms and allow Pat, the scoundrel, to 
place me behind the bars." 

"You will have it to do, sir. I will see that 
you do. Hand them over to me." 



i 5 8 SPIRITS DO RETURN. 

" I refuse to do so. I will die before I do." 

"Well, me friend, you had better ask your 
God about that. Perhaps you are a little per- 
verse about going." 

"You are not acting wisely, Pearson. You 
had just as well be brave and await the out- 
come." 

"Message here," called out a voice. 

"Give it to me. The charges? None? Very 

well." 

He read: "Your answer is, 'Yes; we have 
the man in jail. Have his confession of murder 

of woman.' ' 

"My God! Can it be? He has received it, 

and my brother will be free." 

" I have not been deceived. Thank God, he 
is innocent!" exclaimed the superintendent. 



SPIRITS DO RETURN. 159 

CHAPTER XVI. 

A New Prisoner in Cell 78. 

"Mr. Pearson, have you decided to go quiet- 
ly ? I think you may now occupy your brother's 
cell, since he is innocent of the crime, and the 
real murderer has confessed. This is the tele- 
gram which brought the news." 

"Perhaps if I would call him a 'pet' and 
6 fellow,' he would come along with me/' said 
Pat. "The officer requested me to take you, 
so here, you 'pet-fellow,' you must go." 

"Pat, Pat, don't kill him! Let him up! I 
think he will go." 

"I think he will, too. Here, take his gun — 
no, perhaps I had better take it along. I may 
need two of them. I only have six cartridges, 
and I have been carrying them some time. I 
may get a chance now to get rid of them, and 
I may need more." 

"Pat, get some water. I 'm afraid you have 
killed him." 

"Well, he said he would die before he would 
go, and devil take him if he wanted to rush off 
in a hurry." 



160 SPIRITS DO RETURN. 

"I see his mouth twitch. I hope he will 



revive soon." 



"I think he is saying to himself what he will 
do when he gets up, but if I have anny strength 
left, I think he will come along with me, as 
soon as he is able to walk, and nary stretcher 
will I carry him on, until I know he is indade 
a dead one. He went to fight back. I think 
when he comes to he will see that fighting is 
hard on the eyes. See the eye turn black, will 
you? You would think he had been dead a 
long while and was mortifying." 

"Come, Pat, help me to get him on his feet." 
"You had better let him rest easy where 
he is." 

"I am asking you for help, and I want it." 
"I '11 help you, your honor. I never have 
refused a thing you have asked me to do." 

"Come, Pearson; can you stand up? Try." 
"I am not hurt. I am only dizzy." 
"I am glad. I hope that you will now obey 
orders, and not cause any more excitement." 
"What shall I do, officer?" 
"Pat, show him the way." 
"Come along, officer — Mr. Pearson — 'pet' 
'fellow.' Oh, how I would like to add a few 
more pet names to them! Indade, when he has 



SPIRITS DO RETURN. 161 

no gun he is willing to ask what to do. Well, 
I will show you. This way out. I feel that 
you was not so very much surprised, only in the 
one way." 

"So the poor fellow was innocent, and the 
guilty one has confessed. I hope I shall never 
have another innocent man here while I am in 
charge of the place. I must send word to Pear- 
son's family. They will be alarmed when he 
does not come home. It will be a great shock 
to the family — to those beautiful society daugh- 
ters. It will be a calamity to them. How shall 
I break the news? I would not dare to send 
Pat. He has a grievance against Pearson, and 
would not show any mercy on the family. I 
shall call the officials together and state the 
whole circumstances, and then we can see what 
steps to take to protect his family. I am anxious 
to see Pat back. I hope he will not have any 
more trouble. Here he comes now. Well, Pat, 
is he all right?" 

"I think he is able to talk. After he was 
locked up, I stepped to one side and he though! 
I had gone, and the poor brother was getting 
the devil, and he promised him more than I just 
now gave him. I think that the poor brother 



162 SPIRITS DO RETURN. 

will be scared to leave the place when he is 
turned loose." 

"Pat, why are you referring to the brother? 
What do you know about it?" 

"I guess what I know would do someone 
good and would bring someone harm." 

"Tell me, Pat, how did you hear these 
things?" 

"I have not got these ears on the sides of 
my head just for looks. They was put there 
to hear with, and I am going to hear when there 
are annything to be heard." 

"When did you hear all this, Pat?" 

"I am after hearing it some time ago." 

"Pat, I thought I could trust you to tell me 
everything that went wrong inside of these 
prison walls." 

"Faith, and you can, and I would of told 
you if it was wrong, your honor, but I thought 
it was all right if he is guilty of staling all the 
money, he ought to be punished, and I did not 
think it necessary to tell you. I expected to 
find out what he did with the money. Mebbe 
the poor fellow could get it back." 

"You have a secret, Pat, and you must tell 
me all about it." 

"Well, I have got to tell it some time, and 



SPIRITS DO RETURN. 163 

if I tell it now, I will have to tell it over again, 
so what is the use of telling it twice ?" 

"I believe it is something I should know 
now, and perhaps I do know, but not exactly 
what you do." 

"If I tell you now, I may not tell it the same 
way the next time, and if you only hear any- 
thing once, you will always think that is right, 
and if you hear it twice and not alike, then 'you 
have not told the truth' is the first thing you 
are accused of." 

"Well, Pat, that is right; but can not you 
remember how to tell it both times the same 
way?" 

"Yes, this 'pen' is holding three or four poor 
devils to-day for not remembering and telling 
it alike both times." 

"I will let you think it over, Pat. Try to 
make up your mind to remember as you heard 
it. You may go now, and see if Mr. Pearson 
is all right. Report within the next half-hour." 

"Now if he is all right, do you want me to 
report now, or wait the half-hour?" 

" Pat, if anything is wrong, let me know at 



once." 



'That I will, your honor." 

'Now Pat is gone, I must let the family 



164 SPIRITS DO RETURN. 

know, and I think I should let them know at 
once, for I may not be able to get the officials 
together as soon as I should like to. I will risk 
it and call them over the wires, and try to ex- 
plain some minor part to them, so they will 
know something is wrong. I can say that he 
had some trouble with one of the prisoners, as 
he has a black eye that Pat gave him. No, 
that won't do. They would ask why I was 
holding him behind the bars if he had trouble. 
That has often happened and the officers are 
compelled to subdue the unruly prisoners, but 
they do not get locked up for it. I shall have 
to say something. When you try to fix up 
something, you never get it said just as you 
had it fixed up, so I '11 get them on the wire 
and trust to saying the right thing. 

"Central, give me Main 505, please. 

"Hello! Is this Mrs. Pearson? Mrs. Pear- 
son, I have something to say to you. I should 
like you to come to the office at once. No, I 
hardly have time to tell you over the 'phone. 
Very well. Good-bye. 

"What did I say? I was so nervous I hardly 
knew. I don't like to tell the family about the 
head of the household. I think that he could 
explain better himself. I really don't know just 



SPIRITS DO RETURN. 165 

what I did say. I think I did not tell them 
how bad things were. By George! I believe 
that is Mrs. Pearson coming — and the beautiful 
daughters too. It is. Did I tell her to come? 
Yes, and here comes Pat with Pearson. My 
God! has he had trouble with him again? He 
is covered with blood." 

"Your honor, here he is. Everything was 
all right when I went around, but the chap got 
smart and I have been bating him for a half- 
hour, then the time was up and you said report, 
and here I am with what is left of him. I hear 
a knock on the door. 

"Come right in, ladies. 

"Officer, here." 

"Oh, papa, papa!" 

"My dear husband! What has happened 
to you?" 

Pat muttered: "Only a good bating, and he 
deserved it." 

"Pat, I must censure you for speaking in 
that way. I did not intend that you should 
open the door, and I intended to place him in 
the second room. I had no chance to speak 
to you before you opened the door. Now you 
may go." 

"I will, your honor. You always told me 



166 SPIRITS DO RETURN. 

to open the door when you heard a knock. 
Now you blame me for it. How do I know 
what to doand do it right?" 

Outside, Pat whispered to himself: "I have 
had quite a time and feel pretty tired. I don't 
think I will go, for I have a knowledge-place 
here where I get all my news, and I think I will 
get some more knowledge and sit meself down 
for a while. What the deuce is all of the crying 
for inside? I know I did not bate him to death." 

"My dear madam, calm yourself. I will 
explain the best I can. • I hardly know how to 
do so. I think Mr. Pearson could do better 
than I could." 

"Mother, take papa home. Do, please, out 
of this horrid place, never to return." 

"I am very sorry, miss, but I—" 

"You do not expect my husband to remain 
on duty when he is suffering, do you ? 

"Tell me how did you get so badly hurt," 
said Mrs. Pearson, turning to her husband. 

"Mother, do you not see that he can not 
raise his head?" 

Pat, listening outside, remarked: "Not be- 
cause he is hurt, little miss, but because he is 
ashamed to raise his head, and I am afraid you 
will not be able to raise your head up when 



SPIRITS DO RETURN. 167 

this is all brought out. I feel I would of done 
the poor fellow a favor if I had bate him to 
death. He will have to die sometime, and per- 
haps this would of suited him better." 

"He will have to remain in the hospital, 
here, and we will take care of him." 

"Oh! I have a doctor, my family doctor, 
and I want him to look after him. What did 
you send for me for? Wasn't it to take him 
home?" said Mrs. Pearson. 

"No; I did not know at the time I was 
talking that he was injured. You know, he 
had this trouble — I told Pat to call around to 
his cell and see how he was getting along." 

"His cell! his cell!" 

"Yes, my wife and dear children, I am a 
prisoner here. I can not go home with you." 

"Papa! oh, papa!" 

"You a prisoner here? What have you done 
to be confined in this place, a prisoner?" 

"I can not tell you. Go home. I may 
never get the chance again." 

"You a prisoner? My husband, whom I 
have promised to honor, a criminal? The father 
of my children a criminal? Oh, no! I do not 
believe it." 

"Madam, I think you had better take your 



168 SPIRITS DO RETURN. 

daughters home. Calm yourself, and I will ex- 
plain all to you later." 

"I can. not leave this place without my 
husband." 

Pat, listening, said: "Another boarder. I 
know she will object to the kind of service she 
will get here, and the linen napkin. I think 
she will change her mind, and I hope she will 
change it now and not shed anny more tears. 
I 'm a hard-hearted Irishman, and could bate 
a fellow to death, but when it comes to hearing 
the dear ladies cry, I amending meself dropping 
a tear meself." 

"Oh, papa! tell us what you have done." 

"Daughter, I have deceived you all these 
years, and I can do so no longer. I will tell 
you now. Be brave, and listen. I was one of 
the two sons my dear mother bore, and my 
brother, when a small boy, ran away from home. 
We never heard from him, and I thought he 
was dead, as did my dear mother. Many years 
afterward my poor mother died, broken-hearted 
over her lost son, and I had to swear to falsehood 
to obtain the estate. I swore that I knew he 
was dead, and so got all of the estate. What to 
do after I had received it, I did not know. I 
thought to invest it would be to double the 



SPIRITS DO RETURN. 169 

amount. Instead of that, I lost all except what 
I had when I married your mother. Now the 
lost brother is found in this prison, and I am 
an embezzler. Now I must suffer for the rest 
of my days." 

"You have carried that secret in your heart 
all these years, and I, your wife, did not know 
it? You deceived me, and now bring disgrace 
upon your daughters?" 

"Oh, mother! can you not see that papa is 
punished enough? Do not torture him any 
more," said one of the daughters. 

"I will disown my father if he has com- 
mitted a crime like that," said the other one. 

"Sister," returned the first, "he is not at 
fault. Do not speak to him in that way. You 
and I are his only children, and we must not 
do as those two brothers did, drift apart. We 
must not make the same mistake." 



170 SPIRITS DO RETURN. 



CHAPTER XVII. 

Deserted. 

"Gertie, I will not allow you to compare 
yourself and your sister with what could happen. 
I am like daughter Amelia. I am not going 
to forgive him — no, not I. I shall return to 
my home and feel very uncomfortable in it, 
after knowing how it was obtained. Come, my 
daughters." 

"I shall return, papa," said Gertie, and see 
you. I shall always love you, for you have 
been a good father to me. You gave me my 
education and provided instruction in music. 
No one can take that away from me. I shall 
always remember you and love you and I shall 
do all that I can for you in times to come. 
Good-bye, dear papa. Do not weep. Mother 
and sister can never turn my love from you. 
If I ever can redeem your good name for you, 
I shall be repaid for all, and I hope and pray 
that I shall be able to do so." 

"Gertie, you have said enough to your con- 
vict father. Come at once. We must leave this 



SPIRITS DO RETURN. 171 

horrid place, never to return. Come, come, 
daughters." 

Addressing her husband, the wife said : " You 
got in this trouble without your family's assist- 
ance, and you can get out the same way." 

"Oh, mother! do not talk so cruelly to papa. 
I know his heart is broken. I am sure that he 
believed himself right when he made the state- 
ment that his brother was dead. He did not 
dream that his brother was alive, or that he 
would ever hear of him again." 

"Gertie, go along with your mother. I will 
suffer alone." 

"I will share it with you, papa. Good-bye." 

"Mr. Pearson, I shall place you in the second 
room here, and I shall call in the officials for con- 
sultation and see what can be done. I regret 
very much to have to do so, but it is my duty." 

"I am a prisoner here, and shall obey your 
rules. I will step inside. You may take me in. 
I shall not cause you any unnecessary trouble." 

"Well, I have got a job, to turn the key on 
the gentleman. I '11 just step in. I feel I have 
saved meself a good many steps by finding me- 
self a resting-place so near." It was Pat, talk- 
ing to himself. 

"I was just turning to call for you, Pat." 



172 SPIRITS DO RETURN. 

"Well, I am here." 

"You may see that water is in the room 
for Pearson, then lock the door." 

"I will do that, your honor, with pleasure. 
Where is the man to occupy the room?" 

"He has stepped in there, Pat." 

"Very obliging, he is. I think that bating 
did him some good. 

"Here is some water for you, sir, and if you 
want annything, call me. Or have I given you 
all you wanted me to — faith, I mane in the 
way of a bating? 

"The poor fellow sits there with his head 
down as though I had never said a word to him, 
so I '11 lock him in and let him slape it off." 

"Pat, I am going to call in the high officials 
to-day, and I want you to be present; I am go- 
ing to call on you for some of your knowledge." 

"How in the devil do you know where my 
knowledge-place is? You may have it all and 
I will find me another resting-place." 

"Pat, you do not understnad me. I meant 
that you must tell what you know about this 
Pearson and his brother. Explain what you 
mean by giving me all the place of knowledge." 

"Well, your honor, you see I have been 
wanted here and there so manny times I found 



SPIRITS DO RETURN. 173 

meself a resting-place outside of this office, so 
I could be here when you wanted me — and when 
you didn't want me." 

"Do you call that a ' knowledge-place'? I 
should call it a ' resting-place.'" 

"I rested while I was getting my knowledge." 

"You were reading, were you?" 

"Devil a bit did I read." 

"How, then, did you get your knowledge?" 

"Well, if you have things that you try to 
keep from hearing — and indade I tried to keep 
from hearing the poor family crying, I was 
dropping a few tears meself — then — " 

"You heard the conversation, did you?" 

" I don't know if that is what you call it, but 
I don't care to hear anny more of it; the last 
toime I felt the way I did was when the only 
friend I ever had died, and that was me dog. 
I never had a poor father or mother — if I did, 
they never told me about it; but one kind lady 
told the good woman that raised me I was too 
small to know me father and mother, so I don't 
know anny, and if I had anny — God bless 'em! — 
their son never had to swear all the children 
was dead to get what the old folks left." 

"Pat, you have heard all about this, have 
you?" 



174 SPIRITS DO RETURN. 

"I don't know what 'this' is. You mane 
have I heard something about this poor man's 
troubles?"" 

"Here are the officials, now. You may go. 
I shall send for you." 

"I am glad I can go. I am not going to 
meet the high officials. They might be so high 
I couldn't make meself heard. I '11 just sit me- 
self down." 

"Good morning, gentlemen." 

"Good morning." '/Good morning." 

"Why have we been called?" 

"Mr. McHenry, there has been trouble here 
in regard to one of the prisoners who is a very 
poor man. Strange things have happened since 
he has been in the prison, and the strangest 
part of all is that he is a brother of Officer 
Pearson." 

"A brother of Officer Pearson?" 
'The man was convicted of murder on cir- 
cumstantial evidence." 

"Of murder— a brother of Officer Pearson!" 
'Yes. I '11 explain further. I have a tele- 
gram here, stating that the real murderer has 
confessed." 

: 'Well, I am glad. I hope that his brother 



SPIRITS DO RETURN. 175 

is not a murderer. I have a high regard for 
Officer Pearson." 

"Gentlemen, the worst is yet to come. Mr. 
Pearson is himself under lock and key." 

"I dare say you are telling the truth." 

"I am, sir. He was heard trying to bribe 
his brother to swear falsely — to deny his own 
name." 

"Pray, what was that for?" 

"I regret to say that he has swindled his 
brother out of his part of the estate by swearing 
the brother was dead. By doing this, Mr. Pear- 
son fell heir to the entire estate, which was large, 
and he lost it all, except the home which his 
family now occupies." 

"The poor man! What was the amount?" 

"In the hundreds of thousands." 

"Well, well! How sorry I am to hear that 
about Mr. Pearson!" 

"You have not heard all yet about Mr. 
Pearson. I am going to explain it all. He 
threatened to kill his brother if he did not swear 
that he had been registered under an assumed 
name. In that way Pearson hoped not to be 
recognized as the convict's brother." 

"You are relating something that can be 
verified, are you?" 



176 SPIRITS DO RETURN. 

"I am." 

"Where did you get your information?" 

" I have a very trustworthy guard that over- 
heard some things." 

" You are not believing all these things from 
hearsay, are you?" 

"I have heard enough myself to be con- 
vinced that Mr. Pearson is guilty." 

"Call Mr. Pearson in." 

"Well, here is where I bring in the fellow 
with the black eye. I '11 just step to the door, 
by accident," said Pat, "outside. 

"Pat, step in and show Mr. Pearson in." 

"I will, your honor." 

"Oh! you have him in there, have you, 
locked up?" 

"I believe I mentioned the fact that I had 
him under lock and key." 

"My god, man, what have you done to 
this poor man?" 

"Mr. Pearson, I am sorry to see this." 

Pat muttered in a low voice: "You would 
be doing a good turn if you would go to the 
poor wife and give some sympathy to those 
beautiful daughters. They have never stole 
annything and threatened to kill afterwards if 
the one they robbed hollered about it. I have 



SPIRITS DO RETURN. 177 

given him a good bating, and I think it did him 
good, but I never want the ladies to come here 
again and do anny more crying. I had to drop 
a tear meself." 

"Officer, what does this mean? Did you 
allow that Irishman to beat this poor man like 
this before his family?" 

"No, sir; his family were not here." 
"He spoke of their tears." 
"They were here afterward, and — " 
"Go on and tell what happened. I am as- 
tonished." 

"I have explained what he did. I do not 
see why, as he has violated the law, he should 
not be locked up as any other prisoner is." 
"A man is not guilty until proved so." 
"And I order this man to be turned loose. 
You have no authority to claim him as a pris- 
oner. He has never been arrested, no warrant 
for him has been issued, and I do not believe 
him guilty." 

"I am in a position to prove his guilt." 
"I do not believe you, sir." 
"I shall ask Pearson to speak for himself." 
"You — Mr. Pearson I am speaking to — 
please tell the officials here what you told your 
wife and daughters." 



178 SPIRITS DO RETURN. 

" I am willing to plead guilty. 9 ' 

"Oh, my God! And my son to marry a 
daughter' of this man ! I can not allow him to 
do so. Take Pearson away — take him away and 
do what you please with him. I have heard 
enough from his own lips — 'I plead guilty." 

"Come, McHenry, I have had nothing to 
say, and now I do not want to say anything. 
I have heard enough." 

"This is awful. My son to marry this man's 
daughter! The engagement was announced last 
night. The marriage shall never take place." 

"Come along, Mr. McHenry. We can talk 
that over after we leave here." 

"Good morning, sir." 

"Good morning, gentlemen." 

"Well, Pat, you may place the prisoner in 
cell 77." ' 

"Come along. You are a fine bird, you are. 
You are not satisfied with ruining your own 
reputation, but you had to bring sorrow to your 
daughter. Your children must suffer along with 
yourself. I pity the poor young man that is 
engaged to marry the girl. I have been there 
meself. I was engaged to a beautiful girl, and 
when the father found out some things he would 
never listen to me marrying her, and it was not 



SPIRITS DO RETURN. 179 

because I stole all the money I could lay me 
hands on; it was because I was a Irishman. 

"Well, you have got a nice place here. 'Tis 
a pity you had not been here all the time, then 
you would have had all your money yet. 

" I '11 drop around male times, and see if you 
have the same as the other gentlemen get here." 

"I am not fully decided what to do," said 
the superintendent. "I must write at once and 
acknowledge the receipt of this telegram, and I 
must see that the proper authorities get the 
confession of this man Pearson, and place him 
where he should be. And if Clarence is proved 
innocent, he ought to be freed at once. 

"I hear a faint knock. I hopefthat it is not 
Pearson's wife. I must open the door. They 
know that I am here at this hour of the day. 

"Good morning, Miss Gertie." 

"I have brought papa something to eat. I 
had such a hard time to get this for him. Moth- 
er and sister went shopping, and while they 
were gone I did some baking and brought it to 
papa. May I see him?" 

"I will see that your father gets it, Miss 
Gertie. If you are in a hurry to return before 
your mother and sister get home, you had better 
go at once." 



180 SPIRITS DO RETURN. 

"Oh, no! I want to see papa. I want to 
tell him something. Is he not in this room 
where he was before?" 

"Well, no — I — had — to use that room, and 
I gave him another room. I think that he is 
asleep now. He had a very restless night. I 
feel that he should not be disturbed." 

"Officer, I must see him. I want to tell 
him something. I have a secret to tell him — 
not exactly a secret, but it is to papa, perhaps." 
" I am sorry, but I shall have to deliver the 
message for you. I am worthy of your con- 
fidence. I do feel very sorry for you and your 
father. Pray trust me with the secret. I '11 
deliver it as it is given to me." 

"Officer, I am heart-broken. I do want to 
see papa." 

"I think I have him where I can put me 
hand on him, and I hope I '11 never have to 
put me club on him again, for I feel sorry every 
toime I hear the daughter cry. Poor girl! I 
hope she won't come here again. If she does, 
I hope she will lave the tears at home, for 
every toime I hear her cry I think of me poor 
dog," said Pat, outside. " I '11 be going along 
by the office and see if I 'm wanted." 



SPIRITS DO RETURN. 181 



ii - 



: Here comes Pat. I '11 have him bring your 
father in, if he is not asleep. 

"Pat, save yourself the bother of coming 
in, and go and see if Mr. Pearson is awake. If 
so, tell him I want to see him." 

"Mr. Guard — Pat, please bring papa. If 
he is asleep, waken him and tell him that I 
am here." 

"I was in hopes the poor girl would not 
come again, but here she is, and bring him in 
I will. It 's the furst toime in me life annyone 
called me by the handle to me name. It 's 
always 'Pat/ but she called me 'Mr. Pat.' I 'd 
do annything for the girl. I 'd even treat the 
father nice. Poor man, maybe, after all, he 
really thought his brother was dead. 

"Mr. Pearson, your honor, will you please 
come along with me, and oblige me? Your 
beautiful daughter is in the office and wants 
to tell you something." 

"Pat, I do not care to see her. I know 
how the poor girl will feel to leave me, and if 
she does not see me, it will not be so hard on 
her nor on me." 

"I wish you would come. She is waiting 
for you, and indade, I 'd be disobeying orders 



182 SPIRITS DO RETURN. 

to go back without you, and I don't want to 
take you, as I have done." 

"I will go, then. Pat, you talk like a good 
sort of a fellow, after all, and I '11 go peacefully 
with you." 

"Thank you, sir. This is a wise man." 

"Miss Gertie, we have visiting rules. I will 
give you this card, and you can see the days 
we have for company." 

"Oh, Mr. Officer! could I not come any 
time ? You know I have to watch for my chance 
to get away. I could not see papa often enough." 

"Now, you may step in and talk with your 
daughter. I have some very important busi- 
ness to take care of." 

"Pat, come around soon again. I may need 
you to take some mail to the train, as I am 
anxious to have the letters go at once." 

"Well, I may as well sit meself down and 
get some more knowledge. I hope I will not 
hear anny crying. Poor girl, how she did rush 
to her papa and kiss him! If I had a daughter 
to kiss me, I would fall dead," mused Pat. 

"Oh, papa, I am so glad I could come and 
bring you something to eat! Mother and sis- 
ter were out shopping and I found the oppor- 
tunity to bring this to you. And I so wanted 



SPIRITS DO RETURN. 183 

to bring you some news. Papa, you know Ame- 
lia is going to marry Clyde McHenry? Oh, 
papa, you are so pale! Are you ill?" 

" Daughter, I fear the marriage will never 
take place." 

'Why, papa? The engagement was an- 
nounced last night, and the date set six weeks 
from then. Would you object, papa?" 

"No, daughter; I would not interfere with 
the marriage, but — but — " 

"Well, papa, what do you want to say?" 

"It will all be known soon enough, and the 
dear girl will suffer, I know." 

"Oh, dear papa, don't cry so hard! I am 
trying to be brave for you, and I want you to 
for me — and Amelia will be happy." 

"Well, if the man isn't crying! It's not 
enough to hear the ladies, and when the men 
begin I '11 have to move on, I think. I have 
enough knowledge for to last the rest of me 
life," muttered Pat. 

"Pat, you may take this letter to the train. 
Pat, you are wanted. I wonder if he has forgot 
his orders." 

"Oh, the devil take you! I 'm coming, as 
soon as I get these tears all out of me eyes," mum- 



184 SPIBITS DO RETURN. 

bled Pat. Then aloud: "Yes, I 'm coming. 
What can I do for you?" 

"Mail this letter on the morning train. Do 
not delay getting it off. 

"Miss Gertie, I shall have to ask you if 
you have visited long enough with your father?" 
said the superintendent. 



SPIRITS DO RETURN. 185 



CHAPTER XVIII. 
Pat's Temptation. 

"I am very thankful to you, sir. I shall 
visit papa soon again. I hope that I may be 
allowed to see him any time when I can get 
away. You see, sister is making arrangements 
for her marriage, to take place in six weeks, 
and she and mother will be away from home 
at different times. I could then hurry and come 
to see papa, and please, officer, could I be ad- 
mitted at any time?" 

"Miss Gertie, I should like to grant you the 
privilege, but I fear I can not do so. I am 
sworn to follow prison rules." 

"Oh, how cruel! To know that I could not 
be allowed the pleasure — the only pleasure I 
have — of seeing my father!" 

"I am very sorry. I would help you to do 
anything possible without violating the prison 
rules." 

"Dear child, go now. You must, as you 
know that we are not obeying orders, and I am 
very thankful for the pleasure the officer has 



186 SPIRITS DO RETURN. 

given us — to see each other. I want you to 
thank him and go." 

"Papa, I did thank him, and will again. Oh! 
if I only knew that I could return often to see 
you, I could go more contentedly. Good-bye, 
dear papa. Do not worry, papa; I shall always 
be your Gertie, and a dutiful daughter. 

"Good-bye. I thank you, officer." 

"Mr. Pearson, you have a beautiful daugh- 
ter," said the superintendent as the girl passed 
out; "not only in looks, but she is good and loy- 
al to her father. Hqw proud I should be of a 
daughter like her!" 

"I am proud of her. And I am ashamed 
to think that I have brought on her this dis- 
grace. I feel that I shall never again be able 
to hold up my head, if I should get out of here." 

"Do not talk like that. We can live down 
disgrace and you can show the world that you 
are not a bad man, after all, at heart, and I 
don't think you are, Pearson." 

"Well, I 'm glad I made the train all right," 
said Pat, "and I got the letter off. I feel better 
now — not so ornery. I will take me toime going 
back. What do I see? The dear little girl 
that called me name with the handle on it? 
And I do believe she is crying. Now, I can't 



SPIRITS DO RETURN. 187 

stand to pass her and see her shedding tears. 
What could I say to comfort her? Well, if I 
don't say anny more than ' howdy/ it will help 
some. 

"How do you do?" 

"Oh, dear! I was not looking up, and I 
didn't see you." 

"I know you didn't see me, but I saw you, 
and I want to spake to you, for sympathy's 
sake." 

"I thank you, Mr. Pat. I am so sad to 
think I can not see papa often. I can not get 
away always on the visiting days, and would 
have to come when I could find the oppor- 
tunity." 

"Well, I will see if you can not get in when 
you come." 

"Oh, no! you are very kind, but the officer 
in charge said that he was sworn to do his duty, 
and the rules of the prison are, 'No visitors 
except on visiting day.' I shall have to come 
when I can get away on visiting days." 

"Well, I hope to be able to break the rules." 

"You must not do so on my account, or 
make any attempt to do so, Mr. Pat." 

"What could I say next?" thought Pat. 



188 SPIRITS DO RETURN. 

"I will be looking for you if you will say 
when you will call to see your father again." 

"I do not know that I could come when I 
would plan to do so — if I could come on the 
days set aside for visitors." 

"Well, may I ask how I could help you?" 

"I do not know now. I thank you. Oh, 
yes ! please be kind to papa, won't you, please, 
Mr. Pat?" 

"That I will, indade! I will, and I will see 
that he has plenty to eat and drink. Now I 
must move on back to me job. Good-bye." 

"He has* promised to look after papa, and 
I shall be so grateful to him for his kindness — 
shown to my dear, heart-broken father. I will 
beg my mother again, when she has relented 
toward me, to let me visit my dear papa on 
the right days. What pleasure I shall have, 
looking forward to the times when I may see 
him, if mother will only consent!" 

"Pat, you back? I think it has taken you 
a long time to go to the train and back. Why 
the delay?" 

"Well, your honor, I am back and ready 
to do annything you want me to." 

"You may see that Mr. Pearson is locked in 
cell 77." 



SPIRITS DO RETURN. 189 

"Mr. Pearson, will you kindly come along 
with me? I am not doing this as a pleasure, 
but as my sworn duty." 

"Pat, I understand your position. I know 
I had to do many things I did not like to do, 
but I understand the prison rules, and I '11 obey 
orders." 

"You will please step in here, Mr. Pearson. 
I am going to see that you have plenty to eat 
and drink. That I promised your daughter." 

"You promised my daughter? When did 
you have the opportunity to talk to her? I 
have been in her presence each time and all 
of the time when she was here, and she has 
visited me only twice." 

"Faith, and did you not hear the officer 
ask me why the delay? Well, as I was coming 
back from the train I met your daughter, and 
she was feeling bad, and I felt sorry for her 
and tried to comfort her the best I could, and 
I bade the time of day to her." 

"Was that all of the conversation you had? " 

"No, sir; I asked the poor, heart-broken 
girl if I could do annything for her, and the 
only thing I could do to help her I couldn't do, 
but I offered to try, but she shook her head and 



*9° SPIRITS DO RETURN. 

said, 'No, indade.' She don't take after you 
for honesty." 

"Pat, what was the help you offered her?" 

"You understand the same as meself that 
the rules here don't allow visiting only on visit- 
ing days, and the girl said she couldn't always 
get away on visiting days." 

"What could you help her to do, Pat?" 

"I thought, perhaps, I could change the 
rule." 

"Pat, you are a good fellow, and I do not 
know how to thank you for all of your kindness." 

"Wait a minute. I don't need anny thank- 
ing for bating you. I got me spite off you then." 

"I wonder what is keeping Pat so long," 
thought the superintendent. "Did I tell him 
to return? I do not believe I did. Well, I '11 
throw the lock on and step around and see if 
I can see him near. I will just walk toward 
the new prisoner's cell, and perhaps I may meet 
Pat. 

"Almost there, and I do not see him ? I '11 
just step up and look inside cell yy. 

"What do I hear? Pat's voice inside? I 
must find out what this means." 

"Pat, you have had a hard time all your 
life, working, haven't you?" said the prisoner. 



SPIRITS DO RETURN. 191 

"Me b'y," returned Pat, "I never knew 
annything but work." 

"Well, Pat, don't you think that a man 
would be foolish to work if he could live with- 
out it?" 

"Indade I do." 

"Pat, would you like to live without work- 
ing if you had a chance?" 

"I would be a gentleman if I could. They 
was always something about a man that did 
not work I rather admired, and wondered how 
they felt, dressed up all the time." 

"Pat, if you had the chance, you would try 
it, wouldn't you?" 

"Well, faith, and I think I would." 
"Pat, you understand what I 'm here for?" 
"Faith, and I don't want to be here for the 
same purpose you are, to be a gentleman, or 
to be a officer as you was." 

"No, that was by choice, Pat, I was here. 
I have plenty of money, and now it will do me no 
good, if I am to stay in here, and if I were out 
of here, I would have enough to last us both 
the rest of our lives. Now, Pat, can you find 
a way to get me away from here, so this place 
will never see nor hear of either of us again?" 



192 SPIRITS DO RETURN. 

''Well, me friend, what would be the job 
I would have after we got away from here?" 

"Did I not tell you that you would never 
have to work any more?" 

"And I would be a gentleman, then?" 
'Yes, you would, Pat. Now, let me plan 
this. You are trusted, and the superintendent 
has confidence in you, and you can get me out 
of here, and walk out yourself, and then we can 
leave the country together." 

"And what would the poor man do without 
me help?" 

"Oh, go along! What does he care for your 
help? There are many others who would be 
glad to take your place, and you would be a 
gentleman then, Pat. Just think of it!" 

"Well, I can't think of a gentleman in me, 
as I never was one." 

"Of course, you always had to work, but 
you will never have to if you get me away 
from here. Come, Pat, wake up! You may 
never have the chance again to be a gentleman." 

"I will study this over and see if I want 
this chance. I feel the cold chills run up and 
down me back. Does that belong to the ap- 
pearance of a gentleman?" 



SPIRITS DO RETURN. 193 

"It does. You see, just talking about it, 
you are feeling the gentleman vibrations. " 

"Well, I think I have got the plot, and 
what I miss now I can get along without. I 
will hasten to the office," the superintendent 
whispered. 

Pat continued: "I think I '11 be getting 
along back to the office, Mr. Pearson. The 
superintendent will be after asking me, 'Why 
the delay?'" 

"Come around often, Pat, and talk to me." 

"That I will. Well, I am a gentleman, or 
can be if I want to give up me job here." 

"Pat, I have been looking for you for some 
time. You are not so lively as you used to be. 
Are you feeling your age? You look worried. 
Pray tell me what is the trouble," said the offi- 
cer as Pat entered the office. 

"I have no trouble. I am wondering how 
a man feels that don't have to work or have 
anny trouble." 

"I don't know, Pat. I never had such a 
job. I always had to work hard for my honest 
living." 

"Then the gentleman that is called the gen- 
tleman is not honest?" 

"Not all, Pat. It would not include all 



i 9 4 SPIRITS DO RETURN. 

wealthy men, but it would close the bars around 
some of them. 

"Yes, and after the bars is closed, it is hard 
to get away, isn't it? I was thinking what a 

of a time a man would have to get out of 

town if he could get from behind the bars." 

"Some prisoners have got away and were 
never found, and again, some were caught in 
the act of getting away." 

"And the results, if caught?" 

"Pat, are you thinking of helping someone 
away? I never before heard you talk this way." 

"I am thinking of the past, if a fellow lost 
his job, and of the future, if he found another 
one better." 

"Are you thinking of leaving here, Pat?" 

"Not if annyone would know it, I 'm not 
leaving here." 

"You know, Pat, I have always esteemed 
you very highly, and I should be very much 
disappointed if I had to lose confidence in you." 

"You would be glad to place confidence in 
me, wouldn't you?" 

"I surely would place all the confidence in 
the world in you, and would trust you with all 
of the prisoners and feel as safe as if I were 
here myself." 



SPIRITS DO RETURN. i 9S 

"I would take care of them one at a time — 
no other way." 

"I know you would. Pat. I feel confident 
you would now, after this talk with you." 

"I 'm glad you feel that way. I may never 
hurt your feelings more than once." 

"We can always forgive once, Pat, and some- 
times twice, but you know the old adage, 'The 
third time is the charm.'" 

"They would be only % two and the third 
time would not be here." 



196 SPIRITS DO RETURN. 

CHAPTER XIX. 
A Clear Conscience Better than Money 

"I do not understand, Pat, what made Pear- 
son confess so meekly. He could at least have 
pleaded innocent until his trial. You know 
sometimes things look dark, and then a crim- 
inal can get out of it." 

"Perhaps he thinks he can get out of here." 

"Well, we will hot have his trial here and 
now, without judge or jury; so, Pat, you may 
go and see if all is right among your fellow-men." 

"I wonder if he understood what I meant 
to tell him all the time — what I was going to 
do — when he said he could forgive once and 
twice, and the old adage. I just as good as 
told him it would be twice, two of us, and the 
third time not here, and that was the daughter; 
she is not here to help get away, so there is the 
whole thing in a nut-shell. And the blockhead 
did not get it." 

"I think Pat thinks he will make his get- 
away with his prisoner, and be a gentleman. 
I 'm sorry for Pat. Now I have a problem to 
solve within myself. Shall I let him go ahead 



SPIRITS DO RETURN. 197 

and make his plans, or shall I stop him before 
he gets started, and save the poor Irishman 
from occupying cell No. 76? I believe I can 
gain some knowledge by being deaf to it all. 
He is surely a clever Irishman, and I will see 
what plans he will make to escape with his 
prisoner, and I may be gaining knowledge, but 
I could not do so by sitting on Pat's seat of 
knowledge, so I think I will not leave this 
office." 

"I hope that I shall receive a reply in regard 
to the real murderer, and that he will be brought 
here. That will help to open the way to a 
clear discovery of all this plot. 

"What! A knock? I do hope that I shall 
not find a lady there." 

"Good morning, officer." 

"Good morning, Mr. McHenry." The vis- 
itor was Mr. McHenry, junior. "What can I 
do for you?" 

"I should like to talk with you in regard to 
your new prisoner, Mr. Pearson. My father 
brought me the news, and I am not doubting 
him, but I truly would be better satisfied if I 
heard it through someone else also. Father was 
in such a rage that I could not calm him enough 



iq8 SPIRITS DO RETURN. 

to understand the circumstances. I should ap- 
preciate your explaining it all to me." 

"My boy, I am very sorry to say that I 
have to do my duty and the rules here we must 
comply with. We are not allowed to give out 
any information in regard to our prisoners, ex- 
cept to the officials." 

"I ask for only enough to understand. Do 
you not see that I am in trouble? Can not you 
help me? Do tell me that he is innocent. It 
means so much to me." 

"My young friend, I understand the circum- 
stances. I learned them through your father. 
I am sorry for you and for the daughter of this 
man, but I am powerless to do anything." 

"Could I talk with him?" 

"No; I am not allowed to permit any in- 
formation to be obtained inside of these prison 
walls." 

"I am sure that it would never be known. 
I would never divulge the secret." 

"I have confidence in you, but I should not 
be obeying rules here, and I could not allow 
you the privilege under any circumstances." 

" I shall have to go, as I am unable to learn 
anything. Oh! could I not see him, just for 
one short conversation?" 



SPIRITS DO RETURN. 199 

"I am sorry. I must repeat that I can not 
allow you your wish, so please do not insist. 
It makes me feel bad to know, as I do, your 
predicament, and to hear you plead. I can 
not help you. There, I would not do that! 
The guard is coming. It is not necessary to 
let him see you shedding tears, and I would 
rather you would go before he comes in." 

"I will go. I thank you for your sympathy, 
and I am certain you would have granted my 
request if it had been in your power to do so." 

"I would, certainly. Good-bye." 

"Good day, sir." 

"Well, now I am getting in deeper. Even 
the poor young man's heart is broken. En- 
gaged to the belle of the city, and not allowed 
to marry on account of the misdeeds of her fa- 
ther. Poor boy! My heart did ache for him 
when he broke down and cried." 

"Well, I am after coming back. Do you 
need me?" 

" I don't think I do, Pat. I am looking for 
some very important news. Outside of that, 
I would let you take charge of the office and I 
would take a stroll through the prison. I get 
very tired, sitting here from morning until night, 



200 SPIRITS DO RETURN. 

and I like to take a walk around the inside walls, 
now and then, for exercise." 

"You may do so. I will watch the place. 
I will see that no one comes in." 

"Will you see that no one goes out, Pat? 
That is what I am here for. Very few want 
to break in and many would like to break out." 

"You are not thinking of any one in partic- 
ular, are you?" 

"Oh, no! Almost any one of the prisoners 
would walk out if he had the chance." 

"If they did, I surely would walk out with 
them." 

"We are not looking for trouble, Pat. It 
probably will come soon enough. Open the 
door. I thought I heard a rap." 

"So you did, and so did I." 

It was a messenger-boy. The communica- 
tion read: 

"We have a prisoner here, a confessed mur- 
derer. Will leave for your place in the morning." 

"All right, no answer," the superintendent 
called to the waiting messenger. 

" I am so glad to receive this." 

"Is that the looked-for message?" 

"It is, and the self-confessed murderer will 
be here to-morrow evening. With him they 



SPIRITS DO RETURN. 201 

will bring the papers releasing No. 78, Clarence 
Pearson, an innocent man. Do you know any- 
thing about this, Pat? You sit there and do 
not look alarmed or excited over anything I am 
telling you. I usually act so when I understand 
it all." 

"Well, I have nothing to say. If I did, I 
would say it without you asking me to. If I 
am not wanted, I '11 stroll around; or do you 
want me to keep house and you stroll around? 
It is nearly bed-time." 

"No; I think I shall retire, as I have been 
somewhat worried to-day. I shall lock up at 
once, and try to get around early in the morn- 
ing, Pat. We shall have a new man to take 
care of to-morrow." 

"I'll do that, sir." 

"Now Pat is gone, and he will no doubt go 
at once to 77 cell and tell Pearson all he has 
learned. I wanted him to know that the man 
is coming and the brother would be a free man. 
I think I had best get some more informa- 
tion, so I '11 just drop around and rest a while 
in 76 cell and see what the plot will be, as 
Pearson must know that he will have his trial 
soon. I feel certain that the officials have been 
prolonging matters through pity for the fam- 



202 SPIRITS DO RETURN. 

ily. Mr. McHenry was probably slow to take 
action because his son was engaged to Pearson's 
daughter. Of course he would try to avoid 
scandal as much as possble. I '11 probably find 
Pat busy with his prisoner, fixing up their plot, 
so I '11 lock up here and step around. What? 
I see Pat 's going in now. I must hurry to get 
the first of the plot." 

"I 'm here, me friend." 

"I 'm glad to see you, Pat. We must de- 
cide to-night upon some way to make our get- 
away from here." 

'Yes, and if we are not careful, the brother 
will bate us out." 

"Have you heard anything?" 

"Have I? Well, I heard it all. The real 
murderer will be here to-morrow, and then what 
will they hold him for?" 

"My brother?" 

"Yes, your brother." 

''We must be out of here before to-morrow 
comes. What can we do? Now, Pat, make 
your wits work fast." 

"I am thinking, and the main thing I'm 
thinking about is the money to make the gen- 
tleman out of me. Where is the money?" 



SPIRITS DO RETURN. 203 

" Don't let that worry you, Pat. I have 
plenty." 

"Well, if you have plenty, if you give your 
brother back his money, you would be out of 
here as soon as he would, and save all scandal, 
and he a poor man freed from here, wouldn't 
he keep his mouth shut if he could be made a 
gentleman out of?" 

"Pat, you do not understand." 

"Well, then, explain it to me so I can under- 
stand. Can you do it?" 

" I have told you that you would never have 
to work any more and you could be wearing 
fine clothes all the rest of your life, have I not?" 

"That you have, but does that make it so? 
I 'd like to see a pile of greenbacks in front of 
me before I explain anny further." 

"You see I am here tied up and can not get 
away. How can I show you the money?" 

"Well, me friend, what is better than a clear 
conscience? Do you think money and a gen- 
tleman could show you a better time?" 

"Oh, yes! I would not let a conscientious 
mind prevent me from having a good time the 
rest of my life." 

"Me friend, your money is not showing you 
a good time, and the rest of your life your con- 



20 4 SPIRITS DO RETURN. 

science will hurt you, and the pity and shame 
you have brought on your family— and those 
beautifuL daughters — their lives are ruined, all 
by yourself, your greediness for money. No, 
me friend, I think I would rather be a hard- 
working Irishman all the rest of me life and 
have a clear conscience. 

"Pat, you are a coward. I thought you 
would help me out of here." 

" I did not help you in here, and why should 
I help you out?" 

"Do you mean to go back on all the arrange- 
ments we have talked over?" 

"That is what I do. Now I '11 be telling 
you." 

"Tell me what made you change your mind 
and talk this way?" 

"Because I heard someone talk the other 
way." 

"You heard someone talk the other way?' ; 

"Yes. I fully intended to be a gentleman 
and help you out of this prison, and I thought 
I would walk around and think it over and see 
how bad I wanted to be a gentleman, and I 
got tired and sit meself down in the comfortable 
chair in the hospital, and there I was thinking it 
over and I was trying to think if 1 wanted to 



SPIRITS DO RETURN. 205 

be a gentleman all the rest of me life, and when 
I asked meself the question I heard the answer, 
and, faith, I never had me mind made up yet — 
I was going to think about it a while — and I 
listened, as if I was hearing someone talking, 
and behold! I did, and I looked around, and 
not a soul was in sight, and I asked another 
question, and I got the answer again, and I 
thought: 'If you know so much and can an- 
swer all of my questions, I '11 be giving you a 
job.' And I had a regular conversation with 
them, and in the conversation I asked them 
how much money you had, and they told me 
not enough to get out of the trouble you was in, 
so I think you will need it all, and I had better 
not try to handle anny of it for you." 

"Who was this you were talking with that 
gave you all of this information?" 

"Well, me friend, I don't know. I did not 
see annyone, but I surely did hear someone." 

"What are you going to do — let me stay 
here and serve whatever time is given me?' : 

"Well, what have I got to do with getting 
you out?" 

"Look here! I 've got you now where you 
will have to get me out, or I will get you in 
here to occupy the next cell, 76." 



2o6 SPIRITS DO RETURN. 

"I hardly think! That is taken. The mur- 
derer that is coming to-morrow will have that." 

"Well, I am going to get away from here 
before to-morrow. I shall report to the office, 
if you do not help me out, of your accepting a 
bribe, as you agreed to do, to assist me in getting 
away. And they will look at it this way: If 
you can be bought off, you would not be a 
competent man to have in here. And that 
means you would lose your job, and you would 
find it hard to get employment elsewhere, for 
your dishonesty woukl follow you wherever you 
went." 

"Just as yours have done. And, me friend 
Pearson, I have not committed the crime yet, 
and now I know, I never shall, so you just as 
well keep your head shut, for I am now in a 
position where I might show you some favors 
that I will do; but I will never show you the 
way out of this place." 

"I am doomed to die here! It will kill me 
to have sentence passed on me in court, and I 
am guilty, and it will be proved. Pat, won't 
you please help me out? I will do anything 
for you. I will give you my beautiful daugh- 
ter Gertie, whom you so much admire." 

"You are very kind. I am after seeing one 



SPIRITS DO RETURN. 207 

young man in trouble because he is in love with 
one of your beautiful daughters, and I '11 be 
after loving a girl whose dad is out. I won't 
have to come to the penitentiary to ask for 
his girl." 

"Then you have decided to allow me to re- 
main here, have you, Pat?" 

"I 'm not the court." 

"You are not going to help me out?" 

"I am not." 

"You shall rue this day. I shall explain 
everything to the office to-morrow." 

"I '11 go, then, and let you think about it, 
so you will have a good story to tell. Good 
night, Pearson." 

"So Pat has weakened! I'll see how he 
talks in the morning. I feel certain that to- 
morrow the officials will take steps to bring 
Pearson to trial, and I know that with what 
proof we have — and he has also pleaded guilty 
in the presence of the officials themselves — he 
will be sentenced for a number of years. I 
must now return to the office. I think Pat is 
out of sight. The crisis will come to-morrow." 

"Well, me friend is mad because I do not 
help him out of his trouble and help meself into 
trouble. I^wonder where I heard that voice. 



208 SPIRITS DO RETURN. 

I 'm glad I heard it when I did, and not after 
I did the dirty work." 

"My boy, I was following you all the time, 
and would not have allowed you to commit the 
crime" 

"What do I hear? Another voice, or is it 
the same? Well, me friend, I am a brave Irish- 
man, and just as long as you want to talk to 
me you may do so. I '11 sit here the rest of 
the night, and I won't have long to wait. It 's 
nearly morning now. But I would of lost manny 
a night's sleep, perhaps, if you had not of told 
me. Whoever you are — I don't know." 

"And I am not going to tell you, now" 

"I heard the words: 'I am not going to 
tell you, now.' I must be after getting out of 
this, for I 'm hearing things, I am. I wonder 
if that strange voice has returned. I thought 
they — whoever it was, or whatever it was — 
had gone, never to return, but I do belave they 
have come back." 

"I think Pat will be around soon, and I will 
pretend that I have had a restless night, and 
that I will not go to bed at this late hour," 
thought the superintendent. " He will be think- 
ing this over and will not get it off from his 
mind. I shall be anxious, for I have been wor- 



SPIRITS DO RETURN. 109 

ried very much in the last few weeks. Yes, 
here he comes. 

"Good morning, Pat." 

"I 'm not feeling anny too good, officer." 

"What is wrong, Pat?" 

"Well, I 'm after telling you at once. I 've 
got meself in the penitentiary." 

"Of course; we 're all in here, but not from 
force." 

"And I never would be here by choice, but 
I 'm deserving of punishment, and I wish you 
would give it to me unbeknown to annyone of 
the higher officials, and I would plead guilty." 

"Pat, what is wrong? I never heard you 
talk so before." 

"And I never did do so before." 

"Have you committed a murder?" 

"No, your honor. But I come near liber- 
ating a convict. You have not the confidence 
in me anny more you once had, or never — " 

"Well, I am sorry, for I had a friend in you — 
or, at least, I felt so." 

"And now I 'm friendless, a lone Irishman, 
and I will soon be a convict." 

"You don't seem to want to tell me what 
is wrong, and I want to talk with Pearson to- 



210 SPIRITS DO RETURN. 

day. The telephone always rings when I am 
talking. 

"Hello! Yes. You want me to bring Pear- 
son to the office and read to him the warrant 
which I shall receive this morning ? In the mail ? 
His day for trial is set? All right, sir; I will 
obey orders. Good-bye. 

"Pat, you may bring Pearson in. I see the 
mail is here, or soon will be." 

"May I ask of you one favor?" 

"Yes. What is it, Pat?" 

"If a fellow — scoundrel, I think, is the best 
name for me — should repent of a crime before 
it is committed and never was committed, would 
you or could you forgive him ? Could they send 
one of them things you are looking for when 
the postman comes in? Could they send one 
of them after me to — " 

"Yes, Pat, if you are self-confessed criminal 
of some deed you have committed, you surely 
would receive one of those warrants." 

"Why didn't I die when I was a babe, in- 
stead of me poor mother, and she here in me 
shoes and I in hers?" 

"You must bring Pearson in here. Here is 
the postman." 

"I will, your honor. 



SPIRITS DO RETURN. 211 

"And now for the dirty work of me poor 
self to be found out. I could see the wrong 
in others, and could not see when I was tempted 
the wrong I was doing, and I, like those here 
who committed crimes, will have to pay the 
penalty for it. I do not like to see this man 
Pearson go to the office this morning, but that 
is the orders, and I must bring him in. Here 
I 've been wandering along and thinking of me 
own case, so I 'most forgot what I was sent for. 
This is his cell, and he is fast asleep, but I must 
awake him and take him to the office at once. 

"Say! you! here! wake up! I want to take 
you for a walk." 

"I am not asleep. I was just resting." 

"Very well; come along. Your presence is 
wanted." 

"And your presence will be wanted too, some 
day, if you don't change your mind before we 
get to the office." 

"I shall never change my mind, not after I 
was told as I was and given such good advice 
from some unseen force." 

"I Ve been thinking how to tell the whole 
story, and you will regret the day you changed 
your mind." 



212 SPIRITS DO RETURN. 

"I may do so. Here we are. The office is 
waiting for us, so come along." 

"I say, Pat, are you going to change your 
mind before we enter the office?" 

"Well, Pat, what are you debating about? 
Come along here. Time is flying," said the 
superintendent. 

To the prisoner he said: "You are under 
arrest. You have been here accused of obtain- 
ing money under false affidavit, and I shall have 
to say — Pearson, I regret very much to have to 
read this to you, but I am sworn to do my 
duty, and I have done so in this case, as I 
would do in all others. Your trial is set for 
one week from to-day. 

"You may take him back, Pat." 
"Your honor, I have something to say." 
"What have you to say, Pearson?" 
"I will ask you if you have ever noticed Pat 
acting strangely, as if he was in a deep study ?' : 
"I don't know as I have noticed it. I have 
had so many things to think of in the last three 
or four months. I do not really know if I have 
been noticing Pat very much, as he is one of 
the guards whom I can trust among all of the 
prisoners. I think Pat is very reliable — a very 
reliable man!to have here," 



SPIRITS DO RETURN. 213 

"If I ever get out of this, I will neverfdo 
anny more dishonest work, or even talk or think 
about it. I pray me poor mother may help me. 
Now, you never did annything for me here on 
earth, mother, come down from Heaven, if you 
are there, and help me, plase do help me keep 
me reputation up in this Pearson case, in the 
eyes of the whole world. I now realize what 
it means for a boy to make his first mistake. 
He is ruined for life, and if all of the young 
men knew what I do now, they would never 
start to commit anny crime." 

"What are you doing, Pat? Mumbling to 
yourself? No one can understand those sounds." 

"I understand what he is doing. He has 
himself just where I will be soon, locked up in 
this place." 

"Oh, Mr. Pearson! you always had a griev- 
ance against Pat. I have never seen any cause 
for it — none at all, I say." 

'You will have, after I have explained all." 
' You may take him back, Pat. It will soon 
be time for the Southwest Limited to arrive. 
Due in a half-hour. Make haste." 

He mused: "Pearson is one of those men 
who, after he has been caught, wants to catch 
everyone else, and he will tell all on poor old 



2i 4 SPIRITS DO RETURN. 

Pat. I am so sorry for him. His first mistake, 
and a bad one at that, but I hope Pearson will 
be enough of a gentleman not to make him 
suffer for it. His conscience will hurt him enough 
for his part. I always placed so much confi- 
dence in Pat. I am heartily sick of the whole 
affair. One man can commit a crime and drag 
others down with him. Here comes Pat. He 
looks tired and worried. " 

"Well, your honor, I am back after a hard 
time I had getting the officer into his cell." 

"Pat, why should he say what he did? Have 
you had some trouble with him, that you did 
not tell me about?" 

"Your question shall be answered, but not 
to-day, not to-day." 



SPIRITS DO RETURN. 215 

CHAPTER XX. 
The Murderer Arrives. 

"Here is our new prisoner, the self-confessed 
murderer, and Clarence Pearson will be released. 

"Open the door, Pat." 

"Good morning, sir. I have a prisoner for 
you." 

"Very well. Please register, here." 

"You will have to, for me. My wrists hurt 
so I am not able to hold a pen in my hand, 
to say nothing of writing." 

"Your name is — " 

"William Devenart." 

"A very odd name you have, Mr. Devenart. 

"Pat, you may take care of him. Give him 
his bath and shave and new suit, then return 
to the office with Clarence Pearson." 

"You poor, unfortunate fellow, you come 
along with me. Tell me all about yourself. 
I 'm a guard here, and will trate you nice if 
you trate yourself so; but I want to give you 
a tip: Do not disobey rules. It will be better 
for you. How long are you sentenced here for? ,! 

"Life." 



216 SPIRITS DO RETURN. 

"My man! A life sentence, indade! You 
will eat manny a meal with us, and I am not 
sure but what I will ate some off the same 
table." 

"Do the guards and prisoners all eat to- 
gether?" 

"No, not always; but sometimes the guards 
turns into prisoners." 

"I do not understand you." 

"I do not know what I did mane, to do 
what I did. Here is'the place. Clane yourself 
up and don the new suit, and very seldom do 
the styles change — I belave once in ten years, 
from stripes to checks. You will feel cool after 
you have been shaved and have a hair-cut. 
One advantage, you '11 not be needing a comb 
very soon." 

"Don't they allow you to comb your hair?" 
"Oh, yes; but you don't have anny to comb." 
"Going to cut my hair off?" 

"Sure, Mike— do all of 'em. And won't I 
be a peach if I have to get me own hair cut? 

"The poor boy don't look like a criminal. 
I will be kind to him. I could see tears in his 
eyes when he was talking. If all of the young 



SPIRITS DO RETURN. 217 

men could see some of these heart-rending cases, 
I do feel we would have less crime." 

"What! A lady coming here? I do believe 
it is." 

"Mrs. Pearson, come in," said the superin- 
tendent. "How do you do, Mrs. Pearson?" 

"Good morning. I should like to see Mr. 
Pearson." 

"Your husband?" 

"No, sir; I have disowned him, but I want 
to talk with him. I have some papers I want 
him to sign. I also have an order from Mr. 
McHenry allowing me to see him, as your rules 
could not be broken to accommodate anyone." 

"No, madam, I could not break the rules, 
but with this order I can let you see him. I '11 
ring for a guard to bring him." 

"I am to have a private conversation with 
him." 

"I can not allow that, madam. You must 
say what you have to say in my presence, in 
this office." 

"You are one of the most accommodating 
men, I must say, that I ever saw." 

"I am sorry, very. I have heard you ex- 
press your opinion of me, but I am here to do 
my duty, and will at all events. Here comes 



218 SPIRITS DO RETURN. 

the guard. I will have your husband brought 
in at once. 

"Bring the prisoner from cell 77." 

"Oh dear! You have him locked up, and 
call for him by his number, do you? And he 
has not had a trial, nor has he been convicted 
of any crime." 

"We have a warrant for his arrest. His 
trial will be this week. I hope that he will be 
able to prove his innocence. I am very sorry 
for him. I have grieved over the matter con- 
siderably." 

"Well, I have not grieved at all. I am going 
to disown him after I get his signature. Then 
I shall have all the property in my own name, 
and I shall try to forget that I ever had a hus- 
band — a criminal. My daughter Amelia will be 
married one week from to-day, and we can not 
be disgraced by coming here after the marriage 
takes place, and that is why I am here to-day. 
Is that he coming?" 

"No; I have a prisoner who is to receive 
his freedom, and that is Pat, bringing him in. 
By the way, that is your brother-in-law." 

"How dare you insult me in that way? I 
acknowledge a criminal as a relative? No, 
never!" 



SPIRITS DO RETURN. 219 

"Well, here is your 'fellow,' No. 78. I can't 
say ' prisoner' anny longer. He gets his free- 
dom to-day, and me old shoes will have to go 
with him, for I don't think I can get them to 
track anny other direction after the prisoner 78 
is gone out. Have you sent for the officer con- 
vict? Here he comes." 

"Yes, Pat. Don't you see Mrs. Pearson 
sitting there?" 

"I beg your pardon, madam. I very seldom 
see a lady." 

"All brutes of men are alike." 

"Pearson, you may come in. Your wife is 
here to see you, and you may be seated over 
there. I will look after your brother, here. He 
gets his freedom to-day. The real murderer is 
in his new suit, and will be given his occupation 
in the morning." 

"Did I hear that I am a free man?" 

"You are, Clarence. Here are the papers." 

"And my brother? Oh! what will you do 
with him? Turn him loose?" 

"No; not until we hear from the court. He 
will have his trial this week, and I hope we will 
then be able to turn him loose." 

Mrs. Pearson addressed her husband as he 
approached her: "I want you to sign over all 



220 SPIRITS DO RETURN. 

of your part and interest in this home we, your 
daughters and I, occupy. I will not live under 
a roof owned by a criminal, and you shall be dis- 
owned at once. I have already made applica- 
tion — before my daughter is married, I shall 
have all ties broken with you." 

"I am not going to sign over any of the 
property. It is not mine at all. It belongs to 
my brother here. I spent and lost all of my 
estate, and that is why I am here to-day. I 
swore that he was dead and in that way got 
his share, and what we now have is his. He is 
alive and free, and he is innocent, and here am 
I, a criminal and guilty, and bound down here 
for no one knows how long." 

"Oh, dear brother! is this your wife? And 
she spoke of your daughters. You have not 
told me anything about them. I can not see 
ycai separated from them all for the loss of my 
money. What would I do with it, now, to 
know that I would cause so much misery to 
obtain it. I could not be happy. Oh, if I 
could only step in your shoes and you in mine! 
I would gladly do so. And you, my dear sister- 
in-law, how sorry I am to know that this has 
happened!" 

If you had never committed a murder — you, 



SPIRITS DO RETURN. 221 

I say— feigning mercy for your brother, we 
would not have to suffer." 

"I am not a murderer. Here are my papers 
of freedom, and the real murderer is here in 
my place — self-confessed, and he will be pun- 
ished for the crime. If my dear brother could 
only be found as innocent as I am, you would 
have your beautiful home always. As it is, I 
shall claim what is due me, and what was left 
me by the will of my dear mother." 

" You may have a hard time to get it." 

"I am willing to turn all over to my brother. 
He is entitled to it, and it belongs to him," 
said the husband. 

"Get some water, Pat. Mrs. Pearson has 
fainted." 

As she revived Mrs. Pearson asked that a 
carriage be called. 

The superintendent replied: "You may step 
into this room. I will call one. 

"Mr. Pearson, you may return to your cell. 
Pat, take him back to 77." 

"Oh, brother! what can I do for you?" 

"Pray for me. You got me here. Except 
for you, I would be a free man." 

"Clarence, you may sign here. Here are 
the papers of freedom. I want to shake hands 



222 SPIRITS DO RETURN. 

with you. I hope that you will never again 
be placed in such a position," said the super- 
intendent. 

"I thank you, sir. I am under obligations 
to you for many favors, and I hope that you 
will always be as just to all the other prisoners 
as you have been to me." 

"I shall try to be. Good-bye." 

"Good-bye, sir." 

"Your carriage is here, Mrs. Pearson." 

"Good-bye, officer." 

"Good-bye, madam." 

"Drive to 1715 North Twenty-third Street," 
said Mrs. Pearson. 



SPIRITS DO RETURN. 223 

CHAPTER XXI. 

Remorse. 

"Now, Clarence has his freedom and has 
left the prison. Next comes the trial of the 
officer, and poor Pat, what a predicament he 
is in! I must have him for a witness in this 
case. I must try to find out all he knows, and 
if it will not assist any in the Pearson case, I 
will try to get along without him. Well, I 
thought Pat just stepped out to avoid the Pear- 
son scene. I hope that he will return soon. I 
shall have to notify the officials of the new 
prisoner's arrival. Here comes Pat. 

"Well, Pat, I thought you had walked away 
with Clarence Pearson. The poor fellow was 
a happy man when he left this place." 

"They will have the same thing to say when 
someone else walks away from here." 

"Pat, I did not say 'they'; I said <I.' To 
whom are you alluding as 'they,' and when 
who walks away?" 

"Well, your honor, I am the next to give 
the papers to, and please give me my papers of 
resignment. I don't believe I want the job 



224 SPIRITS DO RETURN. 

anny longer. I am not after looking for a long 
job here." 

"It is bedtime now, Pat. To-morrow will 
bring forth something new. Pearson's trial will 
take place, and probably you may have to fill 
his office, as assistant, here with me. We shall 
have to have another man in his place. I think 
you could do it." 

"Yes, I could probably fill the place he is 
now about to fill. I am not looking for the job, 
indade I am not." 

"Pat, you are worried to-night. So much 
excitement the last three or four months has 
upset you. It will have to be settled — all will 
be settled after Pearson gets located, and now 
it is late, and we must retire. Good night." 

"Good night, officer." 

Pat muttered: "As I hear the big iron door 
slam after me it makes me blood run cold. I 
am in a fix. What is money for? To make 
criminals, I belave. I belave every convict un- 
der this blooming roof is here for or on account 
of money. The vile stuff! We get a living, 
and have to work, or should if we don't, and 
it only keeps us out of mischief — and then it 
don't. I am in it now, and I have been work- 
ing too, but there it leads up to money, for the 



SPIRITS DO RETURN. 225 

fine clothes and the gentleman, and the good 
times that would go with it. I would be able 
to go and lay me head down on me pillow to- 
night and slape if it wasn't for money. In- 
stead of that, I have to pace around this place 
all the night. Yes, here it is nearly morning, 
and not a wink of slape. I 'd just as soon be 
guilty, as so near and not, for I am taking on 
the same guilty condition. I belave I '11 walk 
around and see if me friend is worrying over 
me as much as I am meself. What? I hear 
him talking to the new prisoner. I '11 see if he 
is telling him how to behave himself. I don't 
belave they placed the new man in 78 — yes, 
indade, they did. I remember, he said the real 
murderer would be occupying Clarence's cell 
and Clarence would have his freedom. Well, 
he is talking very nice to the new man. I will 
see what the conversation is about." 

"Tell me about it," said Pearson. "How 
did you come to confess that you were the real 
murderer of this woman? They had a man 
serving time for the crime." 

"Yes; that is why I confessed, and for other 
reasons." 

"What were the other reasons? Would you 
mind telling me?" 



226 SPIRITS DO RETURN. 

"I am trying to forget it. I will tell you, 
and then I shall never repeat it again. It is 
too horrid; I can not stand it to talk about it. 
I was married only a short time, and a differ- 
ence arose, one day, between my dear wife and 
myself. I became angry, and was talking loud- 
ly, when the door opened and this fellow who 
was serving time here for the crime came rush- 
ing in unannounced, and asked my wife if he 
could assist her. She was afraid of me, but 
she declined to accept his help. He left with 
apologies for intruding. I grew more excited, 
and in a fit of uncontrollable temper I choked 
her to death. I came to myself and found her 
lying at my feet dead. Oh, man! can you pict- 
ure the agony I was in? I thought of that 
man, and how I could lay the murder on him. 
I ran from the house and met an officer. I 
told him my wife was just murdered by a man 
whom I had just seen leave the house. The 
officer rushed up the street, and I recognized 
the man as the same whh had offered to help 
my poor wife, and I shouted, ' There he is!' 
and to jail the officer took him. At the trial I 
swore that he was the murderer, knowing that 
I myself was the guilty one, and he was the 
man who was given his freedom to-day. I will 



SPIRITS DO RETURN. 227 

tell you all, as I have started. I know that 
all the time he was here I suffered more than he 
ever could." 

"In what way, Devenart? — is that your 
name?" 

"Yes; but just call me 'Will.' I do not 
want to disgrace my father and mother by caus- 
ing their name to be spoken. 

"I can not tell you in what way. I can tell 
you the mysterious way I was punished. I 
never lay down and closed my eyes that I did 
not see my poor dead wife, and presently an- 
other woman would come up to me and point 
her finger at me with scorn. After many ter- 
rible nights, I began to hear noises. I could 
not at first understand, and one night I was 
touched by some unknown hand, and I was 
frightened beyond words. I thought/ If I could 
only die and get away from it all!' I am so 
excited now I can not talk longer." 

"I should like to have you finish. We may 
not get a chance again, as you know the rules 
are, 'No talking among the prisoners." 

"I am glad that I have rested to-night with- 
out seeing her face, and I will never tell the 
story again. As I am here for life, I know that 
I never shall, if we can not talk. 



228 SPIRITS DO RETURN. 

"One night, as I was sitting on the side of 
my bed, I could not lie down and close my 
eyes, and I saw my wife walk up to me, and 
by her side came an elderly lady, and I tried 
to close my eyes so I could not see them, but 
I could see them as plainly with my eyes closed, 
as with them open. I stood up and begged 
them to go away and let me rest for the re- 
mainder of the night. Then, for the first time, 
I heard a voice, and it was the motherly lady 
who spoke, and these were her words — oh! I 
am telling the terrible story under a dreadful 
strain; I am living it all over again. I thought 
I saw the same lady standing by your side, as 
I am looking through these bars." 

"You will have strength, I hope, to tell me 
all. Please finish the story." 

"I will finish now, if I am — oh, she spoke 
to me! Was that where I left off? I believe 
it was. The elderly lady came closer than my 
poor wife did, and as she spoke I can never 
explain the feelings I had. I called for help. 
I prayed and fell down on my knees and asked 
for mercy and help. The voice answered: 

" ' So did your wife pray for her life, and it 
was not spared — by the hands of a brute, and 



SPIRITS DO RETURN. 229 

that was you. Now you suffer as you have caused 
her to suffer — / say suffer! ' 

"My friend, can you think of a punishment 
like that? I could bear punishment from the 
hands of my fellow-men, but when I know not 
from whence it comes or what it is, it is ter- 
rible. I am suffering for all the sins I ever 
committed. 

"My man, I see, I do see, the same lady 
by your side, and my wife! 

"O Father, come to me in this hour of need. 
I am being punished for the terrible crime I 
have committed. May I not be shown mercy? 
I am guilty, and have pleaded so, and will plead 
guilty, even in my prayers to Thee. Help and 
forgive me. How I have suffered ! Thou know- 
est, and Thou alone. From this on I shall live 
as I should — pray every day for the forgiveness 
of my sins. Each day will I pray for guidance 
and help in all my undertakings. Help me to 
live the way I should live. Turn not a deaf 
ear to me, Father. I am in sorrow and need 
Thy help. I am here that the one who has 
received his freedom may go forth with Thy 
blessing; that the whole world may look on 
him as an innocent man, and not as a mur- 
derer, as I swore that he was. I ask also for 






230 SPIRITS DO RETURN. 

help for him. May he forgive me. I may never 
have the opportunity to meet him on this earth, 
but I hope to meet him in Heaveri, as innocent 
of all crime as he was of that of which I accused 
him. blessed Father, I do feel that Thou 
wilt answer my prayers. Amen!" 

"Well, well, you can pray as well as murder," 
said Pearson. "I was wondering if you ever 
prayed before." 

"No, my friend, and if you would experi- 
ence the heavy burden lifted from your shoul- 
ders as I did from that prayer, you would pray, 
or try to, as I did." 

"I think I had better get away from here, 
if they are going to have prayer-meeting," mut- 
tered Pat. " I wonder if a bit of a prayer would 
do me good. The first chance I get, I belave 
I will do a little of it. Well, here is another 
day, and nearly time for the trial. I had better 
step in the office a bit." 

"Pat, your absence this morning makes me 
think you had a good night's rest." 

" I will call it rest when I get it. Indade, I 
never closed me eyes." 

"Was anything wrong with the prisoners? 
I was going to ask you to go by cell 78 and see 
our new prisoner, and it passed from my mind." 



SPIRITS DO RETURN. 231 

" I did the very thing that passed from your 
mind. I guess it came to my mind." 

"Is everything all right?" 

"Yes. We had some prayers, and I think 
it helped the fellow that prayed, and I am 
thinking of doing a little of it meself, when I 
get a chance." 

"The poor man! Remorse always sets in 
after they get in behind the bars, Pat. Do 
you know that this is a hard place to be — to 
work for a livelihood? You have no trouble of 
your own, but you worry about the other fel- 
low's trouble." 

"Faith, and if I had no troubles of me own, 
I would let the other fellow worry about his 
own." 

"You have no troubles to worry over. See 
how long you have been here, and you could 
not get into trouble here, could you?" 

"No, I couldn't, but I have." 

" You have ? " Tell me, Pat, what is wrong." 

"We had better put that off." 

"It will soon be time for Pearson's trial, 
and you will be one of the witnesses. As he 
has confessed that he is guilty, I think it will 
go hard with him." 

"Now, me friend, your honor, I 'm not go- 



232 SPIRITS DO RETURN. 

ing to kape the secret anny longer. I just as 
well have|it out with, and you may cut down 
expenses and have two trials at once. I have 
a secret to tell you. Every bit of it is the truth, 
and I too am going to confess, and then, when 
I getfthe chance, I '11 pray, and perhaps I too 
will feel better." 

"Go ahead, Pat." 

"I am after listening, and I heard the man 
to be tried to-day trying to spend five thousand 
dollars easy, and I thought: 'If you have it 
to give away, I meself would take a little of it.' 
And I in a way as much as told him so, and 
then I changed me mind. I thought I would 
like this job the best. Now he insists I spend 
his money, and I don't want it at all, and I 
told him so. Now he has threatened to turn 
me over to the officials here if I don't be a gen- 
tleman, and I never was one, and now I know 
I couldn't be one, so there is the secret." 

"Well, we must now attend court. You 
will have to tell all you know, Pat. You may 
go for Pearson and take him to court. I will 
be there presently." 

"Here is me punishment beginning now. I 
am after getting a taste of it meself. I may 
be the next poor devil to court. For the love 



SPIRITS DO RETURN. 233 

of Mike! what will I do? Pray? I haven't 
the time now. I will after I get through with 
this trial, and then I may have something to 
pray for. Here I am at the cell, and I belave 
he 's aslape. Now, I wonder if he was awake 
all night. I 'm not aslape, and I was up too, 
all night. I will get him out of here. 

"Come, Officer Pearson! Your trial is at 
hand, and I have come for you." 

"I 'm willing to go, Pat — and say, Pat, are 
you for me, or against me?" 

"I am neither, if I don't have to be." 

"If you are called to the stand, what will 
you say — anything about our plot to get away?" 

"Will you say anything about it if I am 
not called to the stand?" 

"I 'm not quite sure if I will or not, Pat. 
I must be out of here, and if you will get me 
out, I will not mention anything about your 
offering to liberate me." 

"If you think you can get away without 
my help, you may do so — if I don't see you; 
but if I see you, you won't get away. Here we 
are at the court." 



234 SPIRITS DO RETURN. 

CHAPTER XXII. 
Pat's Testimony. 

"You are taking your time, Pat. We are 
waiting for you." 

When court had been opened and the pre- 
liminaries had been gone through, Mr. Pearson 
was examined. 

'You are registered under your correct name, 
are you not?" 
"I am." 

"Mr. Pearson, how long has your mother 
been dead?" 

"Twenty-one years." 
"Did she leave a will?" 
"Yes, sir." 

"Did you know that you were the only 
heir?" 

"No, sir — well, I thought so." 

"But you did not know for sure?" 

"No, sir." 

"Mr. Pearson, did you take oath that you 
knew your brother was dead?" 

"I did; yes, sir. I thought he was. We 
had never heard from him." 



SPIRITS DO RETURN. 235 

"Did you look for him, or try to find him?" 

"Well, no." 

"Did you acknowledge him as a brother 
when you did find him?" 

"I did." 

"Not until you had to." 

"Well, I tried to do for him after I found 
him." 

"In what way?" 

"I told him I would help him." 

"Out of prison, or financially?" 

"Well, I don't know." 

"You don't know what you were going to 
do, but you were going to do something for 
him?" 

"I felt that I should." 

"Will you tell the court what you were go- 
ing to do, or thought of doing? Now, Mr. 
Pearson, you have been holding a position of 
authority, have you not?" 

"Yes, sir." 

"Have you done an officer's duty?" 

"I have tried to." 

"You tried to, but did you?" 

"I don't know." 

"You are excused." 

Pat was called to the stand. 



236 SPIRITS DO RETURN. 

"Your name?" 

"Me name is Pat Dugan." 

"Well, Pat, what do you know about this 
Officer Pearson?" 

"Your honor, I wish I had never seen the 
man." 

"That is not answering my question." 

"Well, I don't know what he did all the 
time, but I know I wish I did not know what 
he did anny of the time." 

"Answer the question." 

"Plase repeat it, I am after forgetting the 
question." 

"Tell what you know in regard to this case. 
Did Officer Pearson fill his position as an officer 
should?" 

"Now, me friend, I don't think that is the 
same question at all." 

"Well, answer it, if you do or don't think 
the question was worded just the same." 

"I did not hear the last question. I was 
thinking of how to answer the first one. Now, 
me friend, I will ask you to repate the last 
once more, and I might answer them both." 

" I suppose we must have patience with you, 
for I don't think you were ever in court before, 
and I know it is hard for you. Now, once more, 



SPIRITS DO RETURN. 237 

I ask you about Officer Pearson's conduct as 
an officer. That is a short question and you 
should be able to answer it without hesitation." 

"I will say that I think the job is a hard 
one for me, and I will give you my club and 
quit at once." 

"Sit down, Pat! Sit down there and an- 
swer these questions the attorney is asking you, 
or I shall fine you for contempt of court." 

"Could I get off — out of that fine for con- 
tempt of court — as aisy if I told the truth?" 

"I am asking you a question now, and I 
wish you would answer." 

"Faith, and you have been asking me some 
questions I didn't know how to answer, and I 
am only a ignorant Irishman, and you are one 
of the know-alls, or should be. I 've always 
thought that if annything ever came up with 
a business consideration, 'I will ask me lowyer 
about that.' This is the first time I have ever 
been smart enough to talk to one of them 
lowyers." 

"Well, you are taking your time to talk. 
You must like our company." 

"I like to hear a smart man talk, indade 
I do." 



238 SPIRITS DO RETURN. 

"Well, the court would like to know if this 
is a trial, or a complimentary case." 

"Your honor, I am trying to get the wit- 
ness to answer my questions." 

"Put the question to him again." 

"Now pay attention, Pat, and we will soon 
be through with you." 

"Couldn't you turn me loose now? I am 
feeling sick, me man. I am sick." 

"Get him a drink. 

"Here is water. Take this, Pat. Drink 
some water. You are all right now." 

" You know everything in the books, but you 
don't know how a fellow feels inside, and plase 
don't talk to me — plase don't. I wonder, if I 
would pray, would I feel better? I am going 
to pray, gentlemen. I belave me toime has 
come right now. 

"O Father in Heaven, if You ever send 
blessings to the Irish, send this one Irishman 
some now. I need it. O me God, I did not 
do annything. I changed me mind before I 
let him go, and he is here, and You can do as 
You plase with him. I am through with him. 
I think You will know what he needs, and give 
it to him. Have mercy on me, and him too, 
if he is deserving of it. I don't think he is, 



SPIRITS DO RETURN. 239 

but Your judgment is best, and use it, and be 
sure You use good judgment in my case, and 
help me out of this terrible perdicament, and 
if I never get in another, I won't pray anny 
more. You will see I am in earnest and don't 
delay the job. I am awfully sick, but I think 
I feel better now, and if the court will have 
mercy on me, and You do likewise, I know I 
will be well in a few minutes. Help Your wan- 
dering one all alone in this country. Me poor 
mother has been with You a long time, and if 
I was there too, I would not be here, in this fix. 
And now I have prayed for the first time in all 
me life, and if You don't answer, I shall say my 
prayers were all in vain; but if You will let me 
know that they were heard, I will let you hear 
them again, if I get in trouble. Amen." 

"The judge spoke: "Stand up, Pat. You 
are good on praying, and you have a nice way 
of doing it, if you did convict yourself. Go. I 
don't think your crime is punishable, and I want 
to give you some orders. You had better learn 
to pray now, and do some of it. Don't wait until 
you are in trouble and then ask the Lord to help 
you. Serve Him all the time, and you will then 
be guided, so you will not have to ask for help 
in time of trouble. Too many wayward boys 



240 SPIRITS DO RETURN. 

like you, Pat, get in trouble before they ever 
think of praying. I hope that the Father to 
whom you prayed has heard your prayers. I 
feel that He did, and that is why I am going 
to turn you loose; so you may say your prayers 
were not in vain, but go from this court-room 
with prayers on your lips, and pray often. It 
will do you good. Now you may go, and may 
God bless you." 

'Well, if I ever get me another job, I will 
never get it in a prison — I may not get out so 
aisy next time; bu* the poor man, he is there 
yet, and I never told a word of his trying to 
give me all his money and fine clothes. 

'Well, I '11 be willing to work, now, for all 
I get. And I '11 say to meself: 'Didn't the 
man who was boss of the job make a fine 
spache to me?' He must know nearly as much 
as the lowyer did, and I felt sorry for him when 
he felt sorry for me and told me to pray. Faith, 
and I will pray, and I will kape it up as long as 
I live, and after I am dead I will come back 
and scare some of the poor devils and make 
them pray like the new man. Oh, how he did 
pray when he thought he saw the dead woman! 
And it was that very thing got me started to 



SPIRITS DO RETURN. 241 

praying, and only for that I belave they would 
of hanged me this very day of me life." 

"Well, here I am back to the office, and I 
have me clothes all here, and I want to bid 
me old friend good-bye before I go. I can't 
kape the tears back. I guess I am feeling 
pretty bad again. I belave I '11 just step in 
here and pray to meself now, while I 'm waiting 
for me old friend that thought so much of me." 

In the court-room the trial proceeded. At 
length the judge arose, saying: 

"I am not of the opinion that a crime of as 
long standing as this one is punishable in the 
eyes of the law. Twenty-one years would out- 
law it. If the prisoner will give his penniless 
brother a home for life, I will set him free. 

"What have you to say to that, Pearson? 
Are you willing to share your home with your 
brother?" 

" I thank your honor. I am more than will- 
ing, and I will see that he shares my home as 
a brother should, without feeling under obli- 
gations." 

"Pearson, I feel that you mean all right, and 
I will ask you to let me hear from you as soon as 
you find your unfortunate brother who was freed 
several days ago. I want you to help him to 



242 SPIRITS DO RETURN. 

live down the disgrace of his long imprisonment, 
and live as brothers should. We have all learned 
to pray through this unfortunate affair, or we 
should have learned, and that not waiting until 
we are in trouble, and then expect our prayers 
to be heard, but we have learned to pray at all 
times — not as Pat did, if we get help, say we 
won't pray any more until the next time we 
are in trouble." 

Later, when Pearson appeared at the office, 
he said: "Officer, I am discharged from all, 
including my position, am I?" 

"Well, Pearson, we have been holding con- 
sultation in the side room — the officials and I, 
and we have decided to reinstate you, and Pat 
also. We have decided that this lesson will 
make honest men out of you and Pat, and 
trusty. You did not betray Pat and he did 
not betray you. It was a good principle that 
you both showed this morning, and we feel that 
you will work hand in hand together in the 
future. I wonder if Pat has gone. We will 
step over to his room and see." 

"I hope that Pat will feel kindly toward me. 
I have forgotten all, and will always remember 
that trial — how poor Pat feigned sickness to 



SPIRITS DO RETURN. 243 

avoid answering those questions. Poor old Pat! 
He is a good Irishman." 

"I do believe that he is gone. This is his 
room, is it not?" 

"Yes. Here he has left a note. He has 
written: ' Good-bye to all the poor fellows in 
here. I have served me term and am ready 
to go, but with tears. I am thinking I am all 
alone, save God. He is ever near me. Good- 
bye to all fellow-men !' " 



244 SPIRITS DO RETURN. 

CHAPTER XXIII. 
Prayer-Meeting in Prison. 

"That is the first time I have seen you 
break down." 

"Yes, Pearson, I am heart-broken. I shall 
never forget Pat, not for the sickness he feigned, 
but for the feeling that came over me when he 
was praying. I have never prayed, but I am 
going to this day. • And the very next Sabbath 
I am going to start a prayer-meeting in this 
prison. If it helps all as much as it did Pat, 
I will feel repaid for all these mysterious voices 
and visions which we have heard and seen here. 
Besides, it may lift up many a sad heart inside 
these walls, that could get no help except through 
prayer." 

"You locked the door as you left the office, 
did you?" 

"Only the outside door." 

"I see bundles in there. They belong to 
Pat. He has not gone." 

"Take a look into the room next the office, 
Pearson." 

"Oh, my~God!" 



SPIRITS DO RETURN. 245 

"What? suicide?" 

"No; praying." 

"Pearson, close the door." 

" I am after being through and I feel better. 
I have been praying to me Father to help me 
find another job, or to get this one back for me." 

"Pat, your prayer is answered, once again. 
You may remain and do as you have done. 
Outside of this little trouble, you have been a 
good, faithful man, and I feel that you and 
Officer Pearson will from this day on be faith- 
ful to the trust which is imposed in you, and 
that you will show brotherly love and kindness 
toward each other and all your fellow-men. I 
want you to be sure to be at prayer-meeting 
Sunday morning, and open the meeting with 
prayer. 

"I shall expect you, Pearson, to close the 
meeting with prayer. I will take a hand at it 
myself, and I hope that we may hear the voices 
of all in this prison, asking for help and guid- 
ance and peace. 

"Now, Pat, see that all is right. 

"Well, Pearson, I am glad to see you sitting 
there under different circumstances, and I hope 
this will be a lesson for us all. Honesty is al- 
ways the best policy. If you follow that pre- 



246 SPIRITS DO RETURN. 

cept, you will never get into trouble," said the 
superintendent, addressing Mr. Pearson. 

"Well, here is one good Irishman the rest 
of me life, and I will be after being a Sunday- 
school teacher; I think that would bate being 
a gentleman anny time. And now I '11 see if 
the officer has not forgot to put the poor man 
that was brought in to work. Forgot? I know 
he did. I '11 be after going and asking where 
will I take the poor fellow to work, and I '11 
ask mercy for him, for it means a job for life 
with him, poor fellow. I am after passing the 
knowledge-seat. I will walk in and tell me 
business at once. I got enough knowledge to 
do me at that resting-place. 

"What do I see? The poor fellow that was 
turned out of here sitting in the office? I will 
pretend not to know him, and make my busi- 
ness be known and lave at once. 

"Officer!" 

"Yes. What is it, Pat?" 

"You have been after forgetting to give the 
poor man his life job." 

"So I have, Pat. I will find a place in a 
trade where he will not have to toil so hard, 
for it means a long time for him. I will take 
care of that Monday morning, Pat. Don't 



SPIRITS DO RETURN. 247 

bother him. Let him get used to his new 
clothes and room. You may go, Pat. I '11 take 
care of him Monday." 

"So you have come back to see us, have you, 
Clarence?" 

"Yes, officer. I could not rest and know 
that my brother was here in prison, all on my 
account. I am the cause of it all. I should 
have written home after I left. I should have 
written to my dear mother. Then I could have 
been notified when she died, and poor Oliver 
would not be in this trouble. That is why I 
am taking all this disgrace upon myself. 

"Brother, I am going to help you, but not 
in the way I asked you to be helped at first. I 
am going to take you home now, and introduce 
you to my family, and try to have a family 
reunion, in honor of the prodigal son's return — 
in honor of poor mother." 

"You may go now, Mr. Pearson. I can 
spare you for a few hours." 

"Come along, brother. Clasp my hand and 
we will walk hand in hand to my home — or, 
rather, yours, and we will spend the rest of our 
days together." 

"Oh, how beautiful your voice sounds to 



248 SPIRITS DO RETURN. 

me, Oliver! As I walk along by your side I 
feel as if we were indeed beginning a new life." 

"By the way, we shall have a wedding soon. 
My daughter Amelia is to be married to-night, 
at ten o'clock — yes. And we shall be there 
on time, I see. The place is all aglow. I 
wonder — " 

"Yes, and I wonder how I will be received." 

"You must be treated as my brother, and 
the family will do so. Music? Yes, Gertie, 
playing 'Home, Sweet Home/ There is no place 
like home. Oh, how true! We will surprise 
them. Just step in, Clarence." 

"Oh, papa, papa!" 

"Yes, Gertie; I heard you playing just as 
I feel, that there is no place like home." 

"Mother, see who is here." 

"My dear wife, I want you to meet my 
brother, as a gentleman — which he is, and has 
been proved to be. 

"And, Clarence, this is Gertie, my pet now, 
as I must soon give Amelia to someone else. 

"I hope that he will be as kind to you, 
Amelia, as your father has always been." 

"Father, you have been good and kind to 
me. You gave me all I ever asked for, and I 
want you to forgive me for the way I treated 




"the place is all aglow. 



5> 



SPIRITS DO RETURN. 251 

you when you were in trouble. I am truly 
sorry." 

"Yes; and, dear husband, I shall always 
look on that time as the mistake of my life. 
For doing as I did I will ask you in the presence 
of your brother, and mine also, to forgive me." 

"My dear family, you are all forgiven. Now 
I ask that you show love and kindness to my 
dear brother and share our home with him — 
or, rather, thank him for sharing his home 
with us." 

"We shall always treat you as one of the 
family, brother." 

"Oh, Uncle Clarence, we are going to have 
a wedding to-night! Sister Amelia is going to 
get married to Mr. McHenry." 

"And, Uncle Clarence, I want you to stand 
up with us." 

"Gertie, go to the piano and play 'We'll 
Sin and Sorrow No More.'" 

The End. 




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